Each year the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy honors volunteer Master Watershed Stewards and the environmental professionals who support their action for clean water. The Master Watershed Steward of the Year is awarded to a Steward who excels in engaging their community to reduce pollution. The Consortium Member of the Year is awarded to an environmental professional who makes a significant impact on projects for clean water. The Master Watershed Steward and Consortium Member of the Year Awards were presented at WSA’s Annual “Leap into Action” Conference.

Master Watershed Steward of the Year Award

Master Watershed Steward Alison Milligan (left) was honored for her dedication to sharing her expertise of native plants with Stewards and her community. Alison exemplifies grassroots action and community leadership. She has single handedly planted over 6,700 native trees, shrubs, and perennials in 2019 alone. Last year, she volunteered almost 700 hours of her time advocating for the use of native plants in the landscapes of Anne Arundel County. When she is not acting as a direct resource, sharing her depth of plant knowledge with other Stewards and County residents in person, she writes Latin for Gardeners for our monthly Stewards Scoop newsletter.

WSA Consortium Member of the Year Award

Jim MacNicholl (right) was awarded Consortium Member of the Year for his work with the BayWise Master Gardeners. Jim serves as a tremendous resource for our Stewards, sharing his knowledge and expertise of native plants and project implementation freely. He has supported dozens of Capstone Projects and helped to forge a durable partnership with the BayWise committee of the Master Gardeners, where he serves as co-chair along with Robin Gill. Jim is truly an information and resource conduit, attending most of WSA’s workshops and sharing that knowledge with his wide network. He thoughtfully considers how to broaden our impact and address barriers to environmental action. And, best of all, Jim is never too busy to get his hands dirty.

Congratulations to Alison and Jim!

Thank you to Jack Turner for providing artwork for the awards.