The Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) 2012 Excellence in Interpretation or Education Awards: Announcement of Winners
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWashington, DC 20240http://www.blm.govSeptember 7, 2012In Reply Refer To:1115 (420) PEMS TRANSMISSION 09/13/2012Information Bulletin No. 2012-100To: All Washington Office and Field Office OfficialsFrom: Assistant Director, National Landscape Conservation System and Community PartnershipsSubject: The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) 2012 “Excellence in Interpretation or Education” Awards: Announcement of WinnersWe are pleased to announce the selection of three winners in the BLM’s 2012 “Excellence in Interpretation or Education” Awards competition. They are:GOLD AWARD winner: Margaret (Peggy) McGuckian, Winnemucca District Office, Nevada. Peggy is the driving force behind the Winnemucca District Office’s most effective outreach event: Lovelock Cave Days. Working with a large number of partner organizations, including local tribes, Peggy incorporated the state’s 4th-grade Nevada history curriculum requirement into the celebration of Nevada’s Archeological Awareness and Historic Preservation Month. Her vision has created an enriched learning experience that teaches children about their local heritage and the ways in which the natural resources of the area helped to shape the area’s history.SILVER AWARD winner: Leisyka (Lee) Parrott, Arcata Field Office, California. Interpretive Specialist Lee Parrott has implemented the goals of the California Coastal National Monument (CCNM) Trinidad Gateway Partnership in a number of innovative ways, including training students in Trinidad-area schools to become interpreters; teaching young people about local wildlife in their coastal “backyards”; and having students create art projects that reflect the natural and cultural environment of the CCNM. Student artwork was displayed at a community event to raise awareness about watershed enhancement activities in the area. SILVER AWARD winner: Terina Mullen, Western Montana District, Montana. Terina is the Western Montana District Fire Mitigation and Education Specialist. With the word “education” in her job title, she embraces any opportunity to educate people of all ages about the role of fire in western ecosystems and the associated risks of living in fire-prone environments. Working with Deer Lodge, Montana, schools, Terina spends a week each year educating every class from kindergarten through 6th grade on the forces that cause change in forests, particularly wildland fire. The program provides interactive, hands-on activities for studying fire ecology, fire behavior, and the influences of people on three southwestern Montana forest types.Our award winners have been invited to attend the “Excellence in Interpretation” awards ceremony on November 15, 2012, to be held in conjunction with the National Association for Interpretation’s (NAI) 2012 National Workshop. This year’s workshop will be held November 12-17, 2012, in Hampton, Virginia. Winners of the Hiram M. Chittenden Award (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), Sense of Wonder Award (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), Gifford Pinchot Excellence in Interpretation and Conservation Education Award (U.S. Forest Service), Freeman Tilden Award (National Park Service), and NAI’s Master Front-Line Interpreter and Master Interpretive Manager awards will also be acknowledged during this ceremony.Congratulations to our award winners and thanks to all who participated in this year’s awards competition. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Brianna Candelaria, BLM’s National Lead for Interpretation, at (202) 912-7583 or BCandela@blm.gov.Signed by:Carl Rountree Assistant Director, National Landscape Conservation System and Community Partnerships Authenticated by: Robert M. Williams, Division of IRM Governance, WO-560