A 13-year-old conservationist from Lunenburg County, N.S., the Royal Ontario Museum, Coca-Cola Canada and one of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s Top 100 Explorers were among the seven winners honoured at the 2017 Nature Inspiration Awards Wednesday night at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.
The winners were selected by a jury from a shortlist of nominees. Aside from the title, each winner receives $5,000 to put toward a program of their choice.
“This year’s award winners are a testament to the many ways that individuals, organisations or businesses can inspire and create a more healthy engagement with the natural world,” said Meg Beckel, the Canadian Museum of Nature’s president and CEO.
John Geiger, CEO of the RCGS and Canadian Geographic, was a returning member of the jury and presented the award for large not-for-profit organizations — this year, the Royal Ontario Museum. “It was a remarkable evening celebrating inspirational environmental achievement,” he said.
This year’s winners include:
Youth Award: Stella Bowles, LaHave, N.S.
After discovering while conducting research for a school project that straight pipes were flushing fecal matter into the LaHave river, then-11-year-old Stella Bowles launched a public awareness campaign to right the wrong for her local watershed. Today, at 13, she continues to educate her community about water conservation.