2017 Stewardship Award Recipients

2017 Stewardship Award Recipients

2017 STEWARDSHIP LEADER AWARDS -- Each year the Olympia Branch recognizes those members who give back much more than a day of service. These members demonstrate a commitment to stewardship and conservation with years of service by volunteering for local, state and federal organizations.

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Presenter and award winners from left to right: Jim French, Meg Hunt, Keith Arnold, Jennifer Fortin

 

Stewardship Achievement Award


The Conservation & Stewardship Committee awards the Stewardship Achievement Award to branch members for their long-term enthusiasm and leadership in support of trail maintenance, habitat restoration, citizen science, conservation advocacy, and/or environmental education. These members epitomize the spirit of leadership and of service to the natural world.

Jennifer Fortin

Jennifer not only participates in our regular trail maintenance activities; she also uses her skills to teach our youngsters about the importance of conservation while participating in youth activities at the HOCM and the GREEN Conference at Evergreen State College. Jennifer recently earned her hard hat with WTA for participation on their projects. She also volunteers as a docent during the chum salmon spawning season at Kennedy Creek trail.

Meg Hunt

Meg is an outdoor woman of the ultimate type. After spending years off the grid in Alaska. Meg has an assortment of leadership tools that go beyond her training and skills. If she’s not helping evaluate how to remove a tree from the trail, she has her hands on the cross-cut saw. After completing the Wilderness Stewardship training with the USFS, Meg went onto to participate in a 3-day backcountry clean up at Silver Lakes. Her help goes beyond the many hours she spends on our own trail work. She participates in stewardship with city parks, with Mount Rainier National Park, the National Parks Conservation Association, and Nisqually Land Trust.

They both completed the weekend long Wilderness Stewardship training provided by USFS, held at the Mount Adams Institute every spring. They went onto to receive their crosscut saw certification with the USFS. They both became trained with USFS on Mountain Goat Public Awareness and Safety and then took those skills to Mount Ellinor to educate the public.

 

Frank Maranville Memorial Stewardship Award


The most prestigious stewardship award given by the branch honors Frank Maranville for his decades of perseverance and leadership in trail maintenance and conservation. The award is presented for long-term service to our public lands and our environment.

Keith Arnold

The recipient of the Frank Maranville Memorial Stewardship Award this year is an adventurer of his own kind. Immediately after retiring in 2012, Keith joined the Peace Corps and served 2 years in Gambia, one of the smallest countries in Africa. When he returned home, he became an active member in our conservation committee and has participated in a countless number of trail maintenance projects. He received his crosscut saw certification with the USFS and uses those skills on our trails regularly. He became involved with the Glacier Heritage Preserve and began leading stewardship activities there this year.

Keith looks for those behind-the-scenes ways of serving our committee such as helping with our tool budget and drafting our tailgate safety checklist for trail maintenance. Keith’s service goes beyond the Mountaineers as he has helped the Forest Service by GPSing trails in the Olympics last year, and he currently serves on the Board of the South Sound Estuary Association. Please join me in a well-deserved congratulations to Keith Arnold as this year's recipient of the Frank Maranville Memorial Stewardship Award.