Honoree Receives Audubon/Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship
New York, NY —An environmental educator from Tacoma, Washington is the recipient of a new national fellowship for individuals with outstanding potential to help shape a brighter environmental future.
Stephanie Swaim 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.
Swaim will focus her efforts on engaging and educating middle-school students at Fort Lewis Army Base through an after-school program called Osprey Club. The youth will volunteer in conservation efforts, working on ecology projects run by the Tahoma Audubon Society that include clean-up projects and wildlife studies. They will also serve as mentors to younger kids in the elementary schools and daycares on base. Swaim hopes to involve 50 students in the program’s first year – resulting in 1,000 hours of volunteer work and a group of students who can serve as environmental leaders in their schools and communities.
Swaim has been involved in conservation efforts for ten years and is currently the Education Coordinator for the Tahoma Audubon Society. Swaim has proven herself to be a dedicated and innovative environmental educator, who is determined to make nature accessible to all kids. As coordinator of the JASON Project at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, she built a district-wide science education program for over 8,500 middle-school students. Swaim has led programs at nature centers around the country, including the New England Aquarium and the Florida Keys Ocean Science Center.
“Stephanie 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.”
“I'm excited to be a part of this first cohort of conservation leaders,” said Swaim. “We are an Audubon chapter that was built on the passion of our volunteers to create a community of educated nature-advocates. I'm happy to be able to continue to build out educational programming to include our military families, who make up such a large part of our community.”
“Stephanie is a great asset to the community and to Tahoma Audubon,” said Bryan Flint, Executive Director of Tahoma Audubon Society. “We are proud that her vision and talents are being recognized and supported.”
Swaim has been affiliated with Tahoma Audubon Society since January 2008. Half of the TogetherGreen fellows come from within Audubon’s far-reaching national network; half channel their environmental efforts through other organizations.
Swaim received a Masters degree in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelors degree in biology from Mount Holyoke College. In addition to her current duties for Audubon, Swaim is a certified Wilderness First Responder.
“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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Local Educator Singled Out for Environmental Leadership
