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2008 Environmentalist of the Year
John Schmied and Marie Hartford Receive Environmentalist of the Year Award
At our annual volunteer dinner on January 24, Tim McGruder, ELWAS conservation chair, presented the Environmentalist of the Year award to two outstanding environmentalists: John Schmied, a teach at Skyview Junior High in the Northshore School District, and Marie Hartford, a teacher at Thoreau Elementary school in the Lake Washington School District.
Leaders on the Brightwater Teachers’ Task Force, Marie and John are key figures in the creation of the Regional Community Environmental Education Center (RCEEC). They have worked tirelessly to:
- Secure funds from King County (at present over six million dollars)
- Secure a $675,000 Washington State Community Technical and Economic Development (CTED) grant to create the final design for the RCEEC to meet LEED Gold rating standards
- Obtain pro bono legal services
- Get endorsements from a variety of organizations and key figures
- Create the Friends of the Hidden River 501 ©(3) VP/Strategic Planner
- Develop the memorandum of understanding with King County
- Help ELWAS survey the birds in the Brightwater area
- Obtain a $50,000 Washington State CTED Feasibility Study for an Energy Independence Demonstration Lab and New Energy Test Bed
Their environmental leadership extends to their classrooms and schools as well. Marie integrates ecology study to promote a better understanding of the natural world and a greater sense of stewardship. Key classroom projects include a year-long cross-grade native plant study of the lowland forest with junior high school mentors working with elementary students. This year she is also working with sixth graders who ask teachers to reduce their classroom carbon footprint by 2,000 pounds per year.
For the past three years, John has server as project manager for the Skyview Outdoor Environmental Learning Center. Using private donations and over 5000 hours of community service, he established the center on 5.5 acres of school property in partnership with the Washington Trails Association. The project includes a wetland area for birds and breeding amphibians. John’s classroom curriculum focuses on the investigative process using human and environmental health themes.
February, 2008 Corvid Crier article
