Honoree Receives Audubon/Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship
New York, NY — A Brooklyn, New York woman is the recipient of a new national fellowship designed to advance the work of individuals with outstanding potential to help shape a brighter environmental future.
Jillian Rubio is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota. Fellows receive specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals, and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each Fellow will also receive $10,000 towards a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy, and contributing to greater environmental health.
For her fellowship, Jillian will partner with Stoked Mentoring, an action sports mentoring program in New York City, and together they will create a unique opportunity for Brooklyn youth to gain supportive mentors, along with a team of people determined to see them succeed. Youth participating in this program will be introduced to both the resources of the Prospect Park Audubon Center and the life lessons of an action sports mentoring program. Each participant will be paired with a mentor and will take part in both a series of onsite environmentally-focused workshops and activities at Prospect Park and in offsite activities including snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing. By engaging urban youth in this unique way, they will have an opportunity to be outdoors and experience nature, on their terms.
Rubio has been involved in conservation efforts for over a decade and has proven to be a dedicated and innovative environmental educator. In her current position at Prospect Park, she leads Audubon’s first urban Audubon Center, welcoming over 90,000 visitors a year to this unique and beautiful green space; bringing nature experiences and environmental education to children and adults. Previously,
Rubio worked for Project Learning Tree in Arizona and the Arizona Association for Environmental Education. Rubio received her Masters in public administration in public and non-profit management and policy from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, and her Bachelors in natural resource management from the University of Arizona.
“Jillian is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,” said Audubon President John Flicker. “Each of our TogetherGreen Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. Together, they represent the talented and diverse leadership the environmental community will need to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities confronting us now and in the years to come.”
“The opportunity to be a part of this Fellowship has motivated me to expand how the Prospect Park Audubon Center serves our community in a unique and innovative way,” said Rubio. “Being based in Brooklyn--within an urban setting—has enabled us to meet the mission of the Center while serving a diverse urban community. My project further expands this ideal, by identifying the specific interests of a group we want to reach, namely youth in their early teens, and meeting them with a collaborative program that is both exciting and relevant”.
Half of the TogetherGreen fellows come from within Audubon’s far-reaching national network; half channel their environmental efforts through other organizations.
“Toyota believes in the power of grassroots efforts to develop the environmental leaders of tomorrow,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, Group Vice President, Toyota Motor North America. “These 40 TogetherGreen Fellows will receive invaluable training for the future while immediately making a difference today with on-the-ground community projects.”
A complete list of the 2008 TogetherGreen fellows can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org/fellows.
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Brooklyn Educator Recognized for Environmental Leadership
