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The Dr. Richard W. Becker Award of Excellence in Environmental Education honors outstanding teachers and the award’s namesake at national Leopold Education Project’s Annual Conference.

At the national Leopold Education Project (LEP) conference held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 28-30, 2011, two distinguished members of the environmental education community were awarded the first annual Dr. Richard W. Becker Award of Excellence in Environmental Education. Dr. Becker was a champion of conservation, environmental education and service learning across the state of New Mexico and beyond.

“The Pheasants Forever LEP Conference was a great opportunity to honor Dr. Becker’s memory and celebrate the many contributions he made across New Mexico. He was the State Coordinator for LEP in New Mexico and a board member with many other organizations including past president of the Environmental Education Association of New Mexico. Through his experience, he was excellent at networking people from various conservation organizations.” stated Dana Vackar Strang, Director of Education for Audubon New Mexico and the current New Mexico State Coordinator for LEP. “Both awardees, Tish Morris and Eileen Wood, reflect qualities that Richard exhibited and held in high regard,” she went on to state.

Tish Morris has worked for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science since 1984 and has influenced her community throughout her career by running summer science camps, teaching volunteer museum docents, planning exhibits, writing curriculum, training teachers in environmental education, leading field trips and working with students and families. Like Dr. Becker, Tish has shared much of her time and knowledge by participating in organizations such as the National Science Teachers Association, New Mexico Science Teacher’s Association, the National Association of Interpretation, and the Environmental Education Association of New Mexico.

Eileen Wood has impacted her community during her 27 years as a teacher in the New Mexico public school system. At Mountainview Elementary School, Eileen has introduced her students to Aldo Leopold and the Land Ethic by rallying her students around conservation issues impacting their community and school. She and her students have designed and built a nature area that includes study plots, wildlife observation and a place to journal. They’ve also designed a natural drainage system allowing them to learn about water harvesting. Eileen’s life and work are committed to stewardship and conservation at school and her ranch.

Both Tish and Eileen received a cash award for their programs and an engraved turkey call, as a special tribute to Dr. Becker. The award has been established by many of the organizations and people who knew Dr. Becker for his work and contributions to conservation in New Mexico. The sponsors this year included: Audubon New Mexico, the Environmental Education Association of New Mexico, the family of Dr. Richard W. Becker, the Friends of the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area, the Middle Rio Grande Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever and the Leopold Education Project, the Quivira Coalition, the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District and other anonymous donors. This award will recognize outstanding educators or conservation projects at future annual conferences for the Environmental Education Association of New Mexico.

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