Ernie Crossland Young Conservationist Award
This award is presented to individuals and groups that are 30 years of age or younger and are involved in a significant leadership role in a conservation project or with a conservation-based group or organization.
Last year, the award was presented to Nari Hwang.
Nari Hwang is a Grade 6 student who has made art out of garbage and plastics to bring awareness to the amount of plastic garbage found in rivers, oceans, lakes and streams and the negative effect these items have on the environment throughout the world. She is passionate about protecting Lake Simcoe from pollutants and plastics and keeping the lake healthy. She is an avid blogger on her site Make Clean Water Happen where she offers tips on reducing one’s impact on the environment.
She has spoken at school assemblies on how plastic garbage impacts natural habitats and the environment, has written an editorial on water pollution and most recently, has created a video entitled “Eulogy for Lake Simcoe”, a living eulogy to bring attention to the negative effects climate change, plastics and invasive species can have on the health of the lake.
- 2018 - Michael Wang
- 2017 - Eva Crothers
- 2016 – Simba Musewe; Mia Harwood, Kyra Bryson and the Sunderland Public School Student Body
- 2015 – Melissa Cusack Striepe
- 2014 – Johnathan Purkis
- 2013 – Kelsey Shaw
- 2012 – Matt Stergiou
- 2011 – Jeff Howard
- 2010 – Matt LeBlanc
