South Carolina Environmental Awareness Award

SC Environmental Awareness Award Logo

The State of South Carolina is seeking nominations for an award to recognize individuals who are doing extraordinary work for the natural environment. Nominations will be accepted from September 18th through October 24th, 2023.

The S.C. Environmental Awareness Award, now in its 31st year, was established by S.C. General Assembly during the 1992 legislative session to recognize outstanding contributions made toward the protection, conservation, and improvement of South Carolina’s natural resources.

Each year the public is invited to submit nominations that are then reviewed by an awards committee. In judging nominees, the committee considers excellence in innovation, leadership, and accomplishments that influence positive changes affecting the natural environment.

Members of the awards committee represent the S.C. Forestry Commission, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium.

Nomination Guidelines

Areas of accomplishment include, but are not limited to:

Nominees must:

Criteria and Judging

Nominees for the award will be judged based on the impact of their accomplishments to protect, conserve, or improve our natural resources and environment. Specific criteria include the following:

Nominating an Individual

All nominations must include completed nomination forms as well as written responses to address the ten (10) information requests presented below. Nominations may also include up to two photographs, no videos please. Completed nomination forms and materials should be e-mailed to StoneB@dnr.sc.gov no later than October 24th, 2023

Description of Accomplishments

  1. Summary: Provide a concise summary of the nominee’s accomplishments in the protection, conservation, or improvement of our natural resources and environment.
  2. Innovative or pioneering: In what ways have the accomplishments of the nominee been innovative, original, or pioneering in the protection, conservation, or improvement of our natural resources and environment?
  3. Leadership development: How have the nominee’s accomplishments promoted leadership in protecting, conserving, or improving of our natural resources and environment?
  4. Financing: How were the nominee’s accomplishments financed?
  5. Job related: If the nominee had paid job duties that included their noted accomplishments for protection, conservation, or improvement of our natural resources and environment, how has the nominee exceeded those job requirements?
  6. Team supported: How were other people or partners involved in the work of achieving the nominee’s accomplishments?
  7. Scope of impact, people: How many people have been positively affected by the nominee’s accomplishments?
  8. Scope of impact, area: What geographic area(s) was covered by the nominee’s accomplishments? How are the accomplishments providing benefits at a local, state, or national level?
  9. Scope of impact, time: Have the nominee’s accomplishments provided short or long-term benefits to natural resources and the environment? Please describe.
  10. Public education: How have the nominee’s accomplishments promoted educational opportunities for the public (related to protecting, conserving, or improving of our natural resources and environment)

Contact

All nominations must include completed nomination forms as well as written responses to the information requests within the form. Completed nomination forms and materials should be emailed to stoneb@dnr.sc.gov no later than October 24th, 2023.

Please contact Ben Stone at stoneb@dnr.sc.gov or 843-953-9062 for additional information.

The 2021 Environmental Awareness Award winner, Dr. James Frederick, was honored for his extraordinary work advocating for conservation of the state’s natural resources during his 33 years of service with Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.

Previous winners of the Environmental Awareness Award include: