Over 100 people joined us on Zoom and participated in our live stream on April 20, 2022, from the Neahtawanta Center. Several NMEAC board members and award recipients joined us for a celebration.

See this year's recipients listed here.

See this year's nominees listed below.

Everyone is a winner in our book. Thank you for your support and participation.

VIDEO CHAPTERS

Hover over the video timeline to navigate the video, or watch on YouTube for easy navigation.

00:00 Welcome from Ann Rogers, NMEAC Chair
00:56 Sally Van Vleck and "Founding Mothers," Martha Phillips and Charlene Goral
04:22 Keynote: Kate Madigan, Director of Michigan Climate Action Network
24:49 Music from Victor McNanemy - "Lament of the Lakes"
34:32 Ann Rogers sets up the Awards
35:50 Jeremy Reisig introduces Nominees and Recipients
37:57 Environmentalist of the Year: Student - Katherine DePauw, Great Lakes Water Studies Institute
39:52 Environmentalist of the Year: Educator - Cory Hanson, Greenspire School
42:43 Environmentalist of the Year: Grass Roots Group - Jannan Cornstalk, Water is Life Festival
46:24 Environmentalist of the Year: Journalism & Communications - Beth Wallace, National Wildlife Federation
48:49 Environmentalist of the Year: Business - Bob Sutherland, Cherry Republic
50:24 Environmentalist of the Year: Public Service Office - Kama Ross, Grand Traverse & Leelanau Conservation District
50:38 Environmentalist of the Year: Professional - Kelly Thayer, FLOW For The Love Of Water
55:16 Environmentalist of the Year: Volunteer - Madeline Baroli, Leelanau, Benzie, and Grand Traverse Conservation Districts
58:01 Environmentalist of the Year: Volunteer - Aubrey Ann Parker, Benzie Water Festival
59:55 Environmentalist of the Year: General - Rick Buckhalter
1:02:49 Environmentalist of the Year: Agriculture - Barry Krull, Krull's Composting (accepted by Christina Speaks)
1:07:55 John Nelson presents the John Nelson Watershed Steward Award - Tom Nelson, Leelanau Conservancy
1:10:11 Ann Rogers presents the special Litigator of the Year - Holly T. Bird
1:13:07 Susan Wheadon presents the Golden Beaver Award - Cathie Cline
1:15:51 John Nelson presents the Clarence Kroupa Lifetime Achievement Award - Dori Turner, Watervale Inn (accepted by Glen Chown)
1:21:36 Ann Rogers and David Petrove present the Golden Bulldozer Award - five of the Grand Traverse County Commissioners
1:24:08 Ann Rogers introduces Terri Reisig to give the inaugural Greg Reisig Prize for Environmental Journalism - Dave Dempsey, FLOW For Love Of Water
1:30:11 Farewell and a reading from Ann Rogers
1:32:00 Farewell from Jeremy Reisig as he performs "Love."

View the 2020-2021 EOY Recipients

Download your copy of the Program.

Nominees

2020/2021 EOY Nominees

Environmentalist of the Year - Student

Rapid City Elementary Students
Youth Water Council
Katerine DePauw - Great Lakes Water Studies Institue

Environmentalist of the Year - Educator

James Dake - Grass River Natural Area
Corey Hansen - The Greenspire School
Joe Kreider - SEEDS
Boone Scharp - Kingsley High School
Amanda Scott - Youth Work Conservation Corps
Emily Umbarger - Interlochen Center for the Arts
Kimmee Wenkel - COGNiTiON Science & Discovery Center

Environmentalist of the Year - Grass Roots Group

David Christian - Antrim County Chain of Lakes Lake Level Committee
Jannan Cornstalk - Water is Life Festival
Rob Karner - Glen Lake Association
Emily Votruba - MIFiberShed Team at Grow Benzie

Environmentalist of the Year - Journalism and Communications

Linda Dewey - Glen Arbor Sun
Jeff Gibbs - Film: Planet of the Humans
Kaye LaFond - Interlochen Public Radio
Sheri McWhirter - Traverse City Record-Eagle
Steve Tuttle - Northern Express
Beth Wallace - Great Lakes Partnership Manager at National Wildlife Federation

Environmentalist of the Year - Business

Sarah Anderson - Iron Fish Distillery
Matt Myers - M-22 Stores
Bob Sutherland - Cherry Republic
Dori Turner - Watervale Inn
Jennifer Viren - Taproot Cider House

Environmentalist of the Year - Public Service or Public Office

Tim Arends and John Taylor - TCLP
Mark Breederland  -Michigan Sea Grant
Matt Flechter - Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy
Craig Olsen - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Mark Randolph - Kalkaska Conservation District
Kama Ross - Grand Traverse and Leelanau Conservation Districts
Nicole Schafer - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Environmentalist of the Year - Professional

Tom Nelson - Leelanau Conservancy
Carolyn Thayer - Designs In Bloom
Kelly Thayer - FLOW - For the Love of Water

Environmentalist of the Year - Volunteer

Madeline Baroli - Past student Intern for Forestry Assistance Program, Leelanau, Benzie and Grand Traverse Conservation Districts
Fred Norman - Boardman River Clean Sweep
Ingemar Johansson - Honor Area Restoration Project
Suz McLaughlin - Benzie County community
Sharon Oriel - Leelanau Conservancy
Aubrey Ann - Parker Benzie Water Festival
Seth Phillips - Manistee Lake Association
Nicola Philpott - Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Westwood Elementary PTO President
Charlie Weaver - NMEAC & Sierra Club
Sarah Archer - Iris Waste Diversion Specialists

Environmentalist of the Year - General

Rick Buckhalter
Alex Campbell - Bay Area Recycling for Charities
Becky Alexander, Marilee Wood, and Lisa Snyder - Clarence and Esther Kroupa Family
Emily Magner - Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Environmentalist of the Year - Agriculture

John Dindia and Bailey Samp - Lakeview Hill Farm
Michelle Ferrarese - Birch Point Farm
Barry Krull - Krull's Composting
Jake Milarch - Archangel Ancient Tree Archive
Ryan Romeyn - Providence Organic Farm
Carissa Savage - Lost Lake Farm
Chris Skellenger - Buckets of Rain

Thanks to our Underwriters

Advanced Roofing
Gwenne and Len Allgaier
brotha James
Carpet Galleria
CBS Solar
C J Cracchiolo
Jack and Lois Driscoll
Nancy Duke
Tom and Diane Emling
Bill Gittlen
Groundwork Center
Herrington-Fitch Family Foundation
Kima Kraimer
Leslie Lee
Light of Day Organics
Angela Macke
David Milarch
Lynne Moon
Neahtawanta Inn
John Nelson
Rebecca May Norris
Allan O’Shea
Oil & Water Don’t Mix
Oryana Community Co-op
Grant and Paulette Parsons
Denis Pierce
Royce Ragland
Jeremy Reisig
Terri Reisig
Mike & Libby Robold
Ann Rogers
Barb Stamiris
Storylicious
June Thaden
Dori Turner
Sally Van Vleck
Watervale Inn