Conservation Leadership Awards

NRCM Conservation Leadership Awards

Maine is known and loved for its beautiful lands, lakes, rivers, and coastline—and we owe a lot to the individuals who have helped protect these natural resources. Each year, the Natural Resources Council of Maine recognizes several of those who have made significant, lasting contributions to safeguarding Maine's environment by presenting them with a Conservation Leadership Award. As part of our Conservation Leadership Awards, we include an award that is given to a person or people who are nominated and voted on by NRCM members and the public, our People's Choice Award.

The 2020 Conservation Leadership Awards were presented virtually on Thursday, October 22, 2020.

In 2020 we honored:

• Aram Calhoun, Conservation Leadership Award, for her expertise and leadership in the effort to protect Maine's vernal pools, including as a scientific expert supporting our work to stop the CMP corridor project.
• Vaughan Woodruff, Conservation Leadership Award, for his tireless efforts, at the Legislature and throughout Maine, to move our state toward a clean energy future, create clean energy jobs for Maine people, and protect western Maine from the CMP corridor.
• Cathy Johnson, Lifetime Achievement Award, for her tireless advocacy in defense of Maine's North Woods, and for her ability to inspire and galvanize support for wild places among NRCM members, coalition partners, and communities across Maine. (Read Cathy's remarks from our October 22nd event.)
• This year’s People’s Choice Award was presented to Eric Sherman, for his tireless efforts on the No CMP Corridor campaign ranging from gathering petition signatures to delivering signs to fundraising and keeping others informed, and for his dedication and hard work for the greater good of Maine's North Woods. (Read Eric's remarks.)