On September 9, PennFuture recognized the accomplishments of 11 exceptional women conservationists in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Poconos and Lehigh Valley during the Seventh Annual Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards event.

PennFuture’s “Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards” are designed to encourage continuing excellence in conservation and to forge a stronger network of exceptional women working to protect Pennsylvania’s environment.

Since its inception in 2015, this event has traveled around the state to different communities to ensure recognition of local leaders, volunteers, and career professionals.

In 2020, we celebrated women in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and this year we honored women in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Poconos and Lehigh Valley.

PennFuture President and CEO Jacquelyn Bonomo, a resident of Luzerne County, said that the event offers the perfect opportunity to connect women conservationists across Pennsylvania, and to highlight the amazing work being done by each of them.

“The contributions of these women from Northeast Pennsylvania, the Poconos and Lehigh Valley to a sane climate, clean air, water and energy cannot be overstated,” Bonomo said. “PennFuture’s Women In Conservation event was a gesture to honor and acknowledge their accomplishments, connect them to their peers, and energize them for the important work yet to be done.”

The organization recognized the achievements of the following women conservationists:

-- Young Woman of Conservation Leadership: Hannah Burke, Schuylkill County: A Senior at Blue Mountain Area High School, CEO of Best Buds All Natural Gardening -  a conservation business she founded in 2017, Schuylkill Haven Community Garden Manager, and Vice President of the Schuylkill County 4-H teen council.  Read more here.

-- Woman of the Environmental Arts: Kelly Finan, Susquehanna County: Science Illustrator/Designer – clients include The Children’s Discovery Museum, Clean Oceans International, Frost Museum of Science, Harvard University, The National Aquarium in Baltimore, The Nature Conservancy, Northeast Wilderness Trust, & Yosemite National Park.  Read more here.

-- Woman of Environmental Media, Marketing, and Communications: Meg McGuire: Founder and publisher of the Delaware Currents, an online news project dedicated to telling the story of the Delaware River from its headwaters to where it meets the ocean, regular guest on WJFF’s program “Making Waves.”  Read more here.

-- Woman of the Watershed: Elissa Garofalo, Carbon County: Executive Director for the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Board of Directors member of the Alliance of National Heritage Areas.  Read more here.

-- Woman of Environmental Justice: Rashida Lovely, Lackawanna County: Created the "Science in the Summer" programs for underprivileged families and promotes teaching black/ brown / underserved communities how to value the environment by incorporating daily “resource sustaining” practices.  Read more here.

-- Woman of Climate and Renewable Energy: Diana Dakey, Lackawanna County: Volunteer advocate for the environment and good government, through Protect Northern PA, PennFuture, League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County, Open Primaries PA Coalition, and Fair Districts PA.  Read more here.

-- Woman of Environmental Education: Dr. Jessica Nolan, Lackawanna County: Professor of Conservation Psychology and Director of the Environmental Studies Concentration at the University of Scranton, Founder of Green Drinks Scranton.  Read more here.

-- Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Marian Keegan, Pike County: President of Grey Towers Heritage Association, Director of Community Conservation at Hemlock Farms Community Association, lead formation for Pocono Source Water Protection Collaborative, co-authored “Standards of Forestry Practice in Pennsylvania,” contributing author of “Deer Management for Forest Landowners and Managers," graduate of Duke University School of the Environment.  Read more here.

-- Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Dr. Laurie Goodrich, Schuylkill County:  Leads Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’s local-to-global research and professional training programs as its Sarkis Acopian Director of Conservation Science, co-published Hawk Mountain’s first scientific paper on raptor migration trends, co-wrote the Hawk Mountain Land Management Plan, and helped to develop the nationally award-winning Raptor Population Index Project. She helped establish the first raptor migration monitoring and conservation site in Mexico which records more than 4 million migratory hawks each autumn.  Read more here.

-- Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Heidi Secord, Monroe County: State President and Board Chair of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union, Board member of the National Farmers Union, former board member for the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations, PASA Sustainable Agriculture and Monroe County Conservation District, Owner/Operator of Josie Porter Farm. Recently nominated for State Conservation Commission by Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary Redding.  Read more here.

-- Posthumous Woman of Lifetime Achievement in Conservation: Louise Dunlap (1946-2021):  Louise was a vital liaison between the PA Abandoned Mine Land Campaign, legislators, and staffers in Washington DC who helped to advance the Reauthorization of the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund and the RECLAIM Act.  Read more here.

She helped found the Environmental Policy Center (EPC) in 1972. She served on the boards of the League of Conservation Voters, the Clean Water Fund, Scenic America, the Environmental Policy Institute and the National Clean Air Coalition, while holding posts with the National Parks Conservation Association and Friends of the Earth.

For more information, visit PennFuture’s Celebrating Women in Conservation Awards webpage.

[Posted: September 10, 2021]

9/13/2021