Congratulations! Nurture Natives Wins EPA 2024 Presidential Environmental Youth Award!

| Our Work

International Youth Day celebrates the power and potential of young people. And Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay can think of no better way to celebrate than to recognize chapter member Esther Bonney and her award-winning project, Nurture Natives. Nurture Natives cofounders, Esther Bonney and Samantha Rutherford, won the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s 2024 Presidential Environmental Youth Award for Region 3!! 🥳🌱 The award was presented in a ceremony on August 1 at the EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Wild Ones President Marlene Smith and Vice-President William Smith were proud guests of Nurture Natives at the awards ceremony.

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay member Esther Bonney writes: “We are honored and beyond excited to be recognized by the Biden-Harris Administration and the White House Council on Environmental Quality for our commitment to empowering youth and preserving native biodiversity. We are incredibly proud of everything Nurture Natives has accomplished—and what it has the potential to achieve! This is only the beginning!

“To date, Nurture Natives has distributed over 56K seedlings, planted 2.2 million seeds, educated over 9.2K youth, and distributed 150 copies of a self-designed “Nurture Natives” Guide to nurseries across seven states. We’ve discussed our mission with President Biden, MD Governer Moore, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, UMD Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dr. Craig Beyrouty, and TIME’s 2020 Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rou, among many others.

“At Nurture Natives, we truly believe in the potential of youth and youth-led action. “I have so much love for our natural world, and I am committed to doing everything I can in my lifetime to protect and preserve our native species and landscapes,” says our Founder and Director, Esther Bonney. The biodiversity crisis and climate crisis seem like untouchable challenges at times but know that you have an impact. You have a voice. Why wait until tomorrow to take action?

“Nurture Natives is a call to youth to take the wheel. It’s time to pass the torch, and it’s time for us to pick it up. As Nurture Natives grows, our resolve remains resolute: to inspire, educate, and advocate for a future in which our youth and environment thrive. Go Nurture Natives!!

“We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to Marlene Smith, Founder and President of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay Chapter, and Amy Lang, UME Maryland 4-H Educator for their constant support and guidance throughout Nurture Natives’ journey. We have more gratitude and love for you than you know! đź’š” ~ Esther Bonney

Nurture Natives Cofounders, Esther Bonney and Samantha Rutherford, in front of the EPA Headquarters in Washington D.C.

About the Presidential Environmental Youth Award (PEYA): Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with EPA to recognize young people for protecting our nation’s air, water, land, and ecology. The PEYA program recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects developed by K-12 youth. This program honors and brings to light a wide variety of projects developed by these young students, school classes and clubs, youth camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental awareness and action in their schools and communities. The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement.

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay is proud to support Nurture Natives. Empowering our youth to lead change is important to overcoming many of the current challenges we face. “But achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires a seismic shift – which can only happen if we empower young people and work with them as equals.” ~ AntĂłnio Guterres, Secretary-General United Nations

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Nurture Natives Founder and Director, Esther Bonney
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Nurture Natives Cofounder, Samantha Rutherford.
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Esther and Samantha had the opportunity to meet Preethi Mony, EE Grant & Program Manager of the North American Association for Environmental Education – NAAEE.
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Esther and Samantha had the opportunity to meet Gabriel Nagel, Chairperson of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Youth Advisory Council, Region 8.
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Esther Bonney, Founder and Director of Nurture Natives, and Marlene Smith, Founder and President of Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay Chapter. You’ll rarely see one without the other!
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Following the ceremony, Esther Bonney and Marlene Smith visited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‘s newly opened National Environmental Museum and Education Center.
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