Honoree Receives Audubon/Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship
New York, NY—A Corvallis, Oregon 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.
Heath Keirstead 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, Keirstead will focus her efforts on helping community members make more environmentally-friendly decisions in the unique ecosystem in which they live. By sharing guides on invasive plants and training volunteers to perform weed audits, Keirstead will be empowering people to maintain healthy backyards, encouraging conscientious actions that will eventually lead to a healthier, more water-wise environment. Replacing invasive plants with native species benefits everyone – wildlife and humans included.
Involved in conservation efforts for seven years, Keirstead is currently the Education and Outreach Coordinator of the Benton Soil & Water Conservation District. In her present role, Keirstead reaches more than 3,000 students through classroom visits, educational events, fairs and workshops, encouraging kids to explore their natural environments and treat conservation as not just a hobby, but as a practice and a career choice. She brings a similar conservation message to more than 2500 adults each year.
“Heath 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 TogetherGreen Fellowship is giving me the opportunity to tackle the costly issue of invasive species by using an innovative format that will empower residents to start with their own backyards,” said Keirstead.
Keirstead has been affiliated with Benton Soil & Water Conservation District since 2006. Half of the TogetherGreen fellows come from within Audubon’s far-reaching national network; half channel their environmental efforts through other organizations.
Keirstead received a Masters degree in soil science from Oregon State University and a Bachelors degree in environmental studies from the University of Vermont. In addition to her current role, she is a trained Master Recycler, coaching her co-workers on recycling opportunities and food waste composting and she’s on the board of the statewide non-profit Oregon Green Schools Association.
“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 TogetherGreen fellows can be found online at www.TogetherGreen.org/fellows.
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Corvallis Woman Singled Out for Environmental Leadership
