Maryland Citizens Honored for Environmental Stewardship

Tawes and Coulter Awards Recognize Outstanding Environmental Achievements

The Maryland Departments of the Environment, Natural Resources and the Maryland Petroleum Council today presented the 40th annual Tawes Awards for a Clean Environment to fifth grade students from Myersville Elementary School in Frederick County and Susan Scotto Dyckman of Severna Park. Laura Armstrong, an employee of Maryland Department of the Environment, was honored with the 12th annual James B. Coulter Award.

The awards are cosponsored by the three agencies to recognize youth, adults, and private and public organizations involved in the restoration and protection of Maryland’s natural resources. The Tawes award, given to both adult and youth awardees, is named in honor of J. Millard Tawes, governor of Maryland from 1959 to 1967 and first secretary of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. The James B. Coulter Award, named after the second secretary, acknowledges environmental contributions by a government employee.

The winners were:

Myersville Elementary School, Frederick County: Tawes Youth Award: The Myersville Elementary School Citizen Scientist program has given students the chance to fully embrace environmental literacy. Over the past few years teachers have implemented dedicated initiatives aimed at habitat restoration, water conservation and other forms of environmental stewardship. The projects and the resulting educational spaces have created a solid foundation for students to have an effective environmentally-focused curriculum. Myersville Elementary is the only public school in Frederick County that is Green School certified for 2017.

Susan Scotto Dyckman, Baltimore ToolBank, Baltimore: Tawes Adult Award: Susan has volunteered with the Baltimore Toolbank since June 2012 and is a current a board member. Over the past five years, she has used her experience as a retired employee of the Maryland Department of the Environment to plan and organize the construction of two sizable rain gardens at the ToolBank as well as a flow-through cistern system, the ToolBank Stormwater Factory. These projects have helped to re-purpose and filter more than 600,000 gallons of rainwater annually at the Toolbank. Susan’s guidance and expertise helped to keep these projects on track and on time when the ToolBank was without an Executive Director.

Laura Armstrong, Maryland Department of the Environment: Coulter Award: Laura Armstrong has worked to promote sustainable business practices through technical assistance programs, including on-site assessments, Environmental Management System implementation assistance, and demonstration projects for nearly 20 years. Her expertise has saved Maryland businesses more than $6 million annually through energy, water and waste reduction measures. Laura developed and continues to manage the Maryland Green Registry, a voluntary, environmental best practices membership program with over $104 million in annual savings reported from member organizations. Laura continues to pursue new ways to help businesses balance sustainability and the bottom line. Her current pollution prevention project is focused on source reduction in the food processing industry. Her work in 2016 focused on building green teams at minor league baseball stadiums.

“I’m encouraged by the commitment to stewardship exemplified by our award winners,”  said Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton. “Their passion for restoration and protection of Maryland’s natural resources serves as an inspiration to this and future generations.”

“Our award winners inspire us all to prevent pollution and preserve the health and beauty of Maryland’s watersheds and communities,” said Secretary of the Environment Ben Grumbles.

“The Maryland Petroleum Council has enjoyed working with the Department of the Environment and the Department of Natural Resources for 40 years acknowledging Maryland citizens for their environmental stewardship. All of today’s recipients deserve recognition for their outstanding contributions to protecting Maryland’s natural resources,” said Drew Cobbs, executive director of the Maryland Petroleum Council.