The Rachel Carson Award is awarded each spring by the

National Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organ ...

's Women in Conservation to recognize "women whose immense talent, expertise, and energy greatly advance conservation and the

environmental movement The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement), also including conservation and green politics, is a diverse philosophical, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues. Environmentalists a ...

locally and globally". Honorees are drawn from diverse backgrounds, including the worlds of journalism, academics, business, science, entertainment, philanthropy and law. The award is presented to honorees each May at the Rachel Carson Award Luncheon. The Luncheon, which is held annually at New York City's

Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, a ...

. Proceeds from the Luncheon support Audubon's Long Island Sound Campaign. (With more than 28 million people living within 50 miles of its shores, the Sound is home to 10 percent of the U.S. population. Unfortunately, it has undergone unprecedented pollution, habitat loss, and ecosystem disruption. The crisis in this significant estuary has led to a campaign of national importance.) Additionally, Audubon's Women in Conservation Program, in conjunction with Audubon's Rachel Carson Awards Council, supports a website connecting women of all ages to extraordinary leaders in the environmental movement and to the great environmental issues of our time. In its mission to support environmental opportunities for girls and young women, Audubon's Women in Conservation also supports a prominent internship program and hosts an educational school panel in which past Rachel Carson Award honorees speak at a local all-girls school. The award is named in honor of

Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose influential book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental m ...

, a monumental figure of the 20th century and the undisputed founder of the modern environmental movement. Each year the Rachel Carson Award is created by

Tiffany & Company Tiffany & Co. (colloquially known as Tiffany's) is a high-end luxury jewelry and specialty retailer, headquartered on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. It sells jewelry, sterling silver, porcelain, crystal, stationery, fragrances, water bottles, watc ...

. The Rachel Carson Awards Council was founded by

Allison Whipple Rockefeller Allison Hall Whipple Rockefeller is an American conservationist. Early life and education She is the daughter of advertising executive George Carroll Whipple Jr. and JoeAnn Whipple. She graduated from Trinity-Pawling School and received her B.A ...

in 2004.

Award recipients

Source
Audubon Society
2019 * Rose H. Harvey *

Garden Club of America The Garden Club of America is a nonprofit organization made up of around 18,000 club members and 200 local garden clubs around the United States. Founded in 1913, by Elizabeth Price Martin and Ernestine Abercrombie Goodman, it promotes the record ...

2018 Honorees *

Gina McCarthy Regina McCarthy (born May 3, 1954) is an American air quality expert who served as the first White House national climate advisor from 2021 to 2022. She previously served as the thirteenth Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency f ...

, ''Former EPA Administrator and Professor of Public Health Practice at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health'' * Mary Powell, ''President and CEO, Vermont Green Mountain Power'' *

Dorceta Taylor Dorceta E. Taylor is an environmental sociologist known for her work on both environmental justice and racism in the environmental movement. She is the Senior Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Yale School of the Environment, a ...

, ''Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & James E. Crowfoot Collegiate Professor at University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability'' 2017 Honorees *

Jamie Rappaport Clark Jamie Rappaport Clark (born 1957 or 1958) is an American conservationist and former government official working as the president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. She joined the organization as executive vice president in 2004. Early life and ed ...

, ''President and CEO,

Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization based in the United States. It works to protect all native animals and plants throughout North America in their natural communities. Background Defenders of Wildlife is a n ...

'' * Dr.

Heidi Cullen Heidi M. Cullen is the Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at MBARI, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute . Cullen was previously the chief scientist for the non-profit environmental organization, Climate Central, locat ...

, ''Chief Scientist,

Climate Central Climate Central is a nonprofit news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science. Composed of scientists and science journalists, the organization conducts scientific research on climate change and energy issues, and produces multimed ...

'' * Anne Thompson, Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent, NBC News 2016 Honorees * Dominique Browning ''Co-Founder & Director of

Moms Clean Air Force Moms Clean Air Force is a nonprofit, grassroots environmentalism, environmental advocacy group, based in the United States, which focuses on protecting children from air pollution. It has chapters in 26 states and more than a million members, an ...

'' * Rebecca Moore ''Founder and Director of Google Earth Outreach'' * Dr. Kathryn Sullivan ''Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'' 2015 Honorees * Warrie Price ''President and Founder of the Battery Park Conservancy'' * Flo Stone ''President and Founder of the

Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital is the largest environmental film festival in the world. The festival is held annually March in Washington, D.C., presenting more than 100 films to an audience of over 30,000. Often combine ...

'' 2014 Honorees * Ellen Futter ''President of the American Museum of Natural History'' * Kaiulani Lee ''Playwright and Performer of “A Sense of Wonder”'' *

Nell Newman Elinor Teresa Newman (born April 8, 1959) is an American former child actress who performed under the name of Nell Potts. She is an environmentalist, biologist, and a prominent supporter of sustainable agriculture, who became an entrepreneur when ...

''Co-Founder and President of Newman’s Own Organics'' 2013 Honorees * Marian Heiskell ''Conservationist and Philanthropist'' *

Lady Bird Johnson Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (''née'' Taylor; December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007) was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She previously served as Second Lady from 1961 to 1963 when ...

''First Lady and Environmental Pioneer'' 2012 Honorees * Sally Bingham ''President, The Regeneration Project/Interfaith Power & Light'' * L. Hunter Lovins ''President, Natural Capitalism Solutions'' *

Janette Sadik-Khan Janette Sadik-Khan (born April 28, 1961) is a former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation (2007–2013) and an advisor on transportation and urban issues. She works for Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy es ...

''Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation'' 2011 Honorees *

Maya Lin Maya Ying Lin (born October 5, 1959) is an American designer and sculptor. In 1981, while an undergraduate at Yale University, she achieved national recognition when she won a national design competition for the planned Vietnam Veterans Memoria ...

''Artist, Architect, and Environmentalist'' *

Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (; born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. A figure in science fiction and popular culture, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Gram ...

''Actress and Environmental Activist'' 2010 Honorees * Suzanne Lewis ''Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park'' *

Isabella Rossellini Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (born 18 June 1952) is an Italian-American actress, author, philanthropist, and model. The daughter of the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and the Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, she is noted ...

''Actress, Director, Writer & Environmental Activist'' * Dr. Beth Stevens ''Senior Vice President Environmental Affairs, Disney World Wide Services'' * The Tiffany & Co. Foundation ''Fernanda M. Kellogg, President'' 2009 Honorees * Dr.

Sylvia Earle Sylvia Alice Earle ( née Reade; born August 30, 1935) is an American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer. She has been a National Geographic explorer-in-residence since 1998. Earle was the first female chief scien ...

''National Geographic Explorer in Residence; Founder, Deep Search Foundation'' *

Sally Jewell Sarah Margaret "Sally" Roffey Jewell (born February 21, 1956) is a British-American businessperson who served as the 51st United States secretary of the interior in the Obama administration from 2013 to 2017. Jewell was born in London and moved ...

''Secretary of the Interior'' *

Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam is an American conservationist and founder of the Student Conservation Association. Early life and education Putnam graduated from Miss Porter's School in 1952 and from Vassar in 1955. Founding SCA As a student a ...

''Founding President, Student Conservation Association'' * NBC Universal's Green is Universal Initiative ''Elizabeth Colleton, Jane Evans and Susan Haspel'' 2008 Honorees * Jean Clark, Norma Dana, Marguerite Purnell, Phyllis Cerf Wagner, and

Elizabeth Barlow Rogers Elizabeth Barlow Rogers (born 1936) is an environmentalist, landscape preservationist, author of numerous books and essays, and a former park administrator. Her most notable achievement was her role in the revitalization of New York City’s Cen ...

''Central Park Conservancy'' *

Teresa Heinz Kerry Teresa Heinz (born Maria Teresa Thierstein Simões-Ferreira; October 5, 1938), also known as Teresa Heinz Kerry, is a Portuguese-American businesswoman and philanthropist. Heinz is the widow of former U.S. Senator John Heinz and the wife of fo ...

''Philanthropist'' *

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

''Founder, New York Restoration Project'' 2007 Honorees *

Frances Beinecke Frances G. Beinecke (born August 2, 1949) is an environmental activist and politician. She served as the former president of the Natural Resources Defense Council from 2006 to 2015. Early life and education Beinecke is the youngest of four child ...

''President of the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)'' *

Majora Carter Majora Carter (born October 27, 1966) is an American urban revitalization strategist and public radio host from the South Bronx area of New York City. Carter founded and led the non-profit environmental justice solutions corporation Sustainable ...

''Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx'' *

Laurie David Laurie Ellen David (née Lennard; born March 22, 1958) is an American environmental activist, producer, and writer. She produced the Academy Award-winning ''An Inconvenient Truth'' (2006) and partnered with Katie Couric to executive produce ' ...

''Global Warming Activist/Producer/Author'' * Deirdre Imus ''Founder and President of the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology'' 2006 Honorees * Kathleen Bader ''Former President and CEO of NatureWorks LLC'' * Margie Ruddick ''Environmental Designer, Founder of Margie Ruddick Landscape'' 2005 Honorees * Kay Kelley Arnold ''Vice President of Public Affairs, Entergy Corporation'' *

Bernadette Castro Bernadette Castro (born July 10, 1944 in Manhattan) is an American businesswoman and former New York politician who served in the Cabinet of former New York Governor George Pataki. She is a partner with her family in Castro Properties. In the e ...

''Former Commissioner, New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation'' * Mae Jemison ''Founder, BioSentient Corporation'' * Margaret Wittenberg ''Whole Foods Market Vice President of Global Communications and Quality Standards'' 2004 Honorees * Jayni Chase ''Environmental Activist and Philanthropist'' * Lynn Chase ''Wildlife Artist, Philanthropist'' *

Maria Rodale Maria Rodale is an American businesswoman and author who served as chief executive officer and chairman of Rodale, Inc., an Emmaus, Pennsylvania-based publisher of health, wellness, and environmental content. She is the third generation of the Rod ...

''Chairman, Rodale Publishing'' * Peggy M. Shepard ''Executive Director, West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc.'' *

Alice Waters Alice Louise Waters (born April 28, 1944) is an American chef, restaurateur, and author. In 1971 she opened Chez Panisse, a Berkeley, California restaurant famous for its role in creating the farm-to-table movement and for pioneering Californi ...

''Chef, Author, Restaurateur''

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Site of the Rachel Carson Award
Awards established in 2004 Environmental awards National Audubon Society

Award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

Award recipients

See also

References

External links