2010 Arbor Day Awards

Award for Education Innovation

The Tree Commission Academy of Columbus, OH

The Tree Commission Academy of Columbus, Ohio, received the Education Award for creating a conservation program that will have a long-lasting positive impact on communities. The commission is empowering people throughout the state to strengthen the forest in individual communities. Started under the leadership of the Ohio Urban Forestry Program staff, the Tree Commission Academy is training citizen volunteers who serve on local tree commissions to manage and care for their trees more effectively. Classes cover topics such as urban forestry, arboriculture, municipal government and human relations. Each student completes 50 hours of class time to graduate from the academy. Since it opened, nearly 200 students representing more than 70 Ohio communities have participated in the academy.

This year’s winners are:

• Lifetime Stewardship Award

  • David Nowak

• Good Steward Award

  • Education at Big K of Macon, GA

• Public Awareness of Trees Award

  • Mayor John Hickenlooper of Denver, CO
  • Mile High Million Tree Initiative of Denver, CO

• Frederick Law Olmsted Award

  • Dave Mooter of Kennard, NE

• Excellence in Urban Forest Leadership Award

  • David Bragdon of Portland, OR

• Forest Lands Leadership Award

  • Jim Schmitt of Gering, NE

• Award for Excellence in Volunteer Management

  • Casey Trees of Washington, D.C.
  • Green City Partnerships Program of the Seattle area

• Champion of Trees Award

  • Steve Koehn of Annapolis, MD
  • The Kirkwood Junior TreeKeepers of Kirkwood, MO

• Lawrence Enersen Award

  • Robert Sympson of Lynbrook, NY

• Rachel Carson Award

  • Mary Kay Inc. of Dallas, TX

• Education Award

  • The Tree Commission Academy of Columbus, OH

• Excellence in Partnership Award

  • Perkins County Conservation District of Bison, S.D.

• Celebration Award

  • Sheila Flint of Sherwood Park, Alberta
  • Strathcona County Recreation Department of Sherwood Park, Alberta

• Legacy Award

  • Laurence Wiseman of Potomac, MD

• 2010 Promise to the Earth Award

  • The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies
  • T-Mobile USA