ASHEVILLE, NC – Regional conservation nonprofit Wild South announced today the Nominee Finalists for the 2011 Roosevelt-Ashe Society Conservation Awards. The awards honor outstanding conservation work in the South and recognize heroes for their work to protect the Southeast’s wild places.
“These awards exist for people who believe they can move a mountain,” said Randy Talley, co- owner of The Green Sage Coffeehouse and Cafe. “The award winners are champions for all of
us to believe we can change this world, we can change our destructive behaviors, we can make a difference.”
Outstanding Business in Conservation
Earth Fare (Roger Derroughs, Founder)
Higher Ground Roasters (Alex Varner, co-owner) Higher Ground Solutions (Ben Saylor, co-owner)
Outstanding Volunteer-Advocate in Conservation
Virginia Dollar (Community Foundation of Western North Carolina- NC) Hap Endler (SouthWings, Inc. – NC)
Jay Leutze (Southern Highlands Land Conservancy-NC)
Outstanding Philanthropist in Conservation
Philip Blumenthal (Blumenthal Foundation)
Outstanding Journalist in Conservation
Susan Andrew (Mountain Xpress – NC)
Pat Byington (Bama Environmental News- AL) Bill Finch (The Nature Conservancy – AL)
Don Hendershot (Smoky Mountain News – NC)
Silas House &Jason Howard (“Something’s Rising: Apalachains Fighting Mtn Top Removal” – KY) John Wathan (Friends of Hurricane Creek – AL)
Outstanding Educator in Conservation
Pete Bates (Western Carolina University- NC)
Mark Case (Southern Guilford High Sch.-NC)
Greta Ceisla (Vance Elementary School – NC)
Terry Deal (Evergreen Community Charter School –NC)
Hilary Hargrove (Riverdale High School, TN Env. Educ. Assoc. –TN)
Outstanding Youth in Conservation
Nico Boekschoten (Evergreen Community Charter School – NC) Micah Case (Randleman Middle School – NC)
Cole Rasenberger (Davidson Elementary School –NC)
Outstanding Conservationist
Hume Davenport (SouthWings, Inc. – NC)
Jim Felder (Alabama Scenic River Trail – AL) Mike LaVoie (Wildlife Biologist, Cherokee, NC) Courtney Wait (National Council for The New River-NC) David Whiteside (TN Riverkeeper)
Brad Wyche (Upstate Forever –SC)
