BRC alliance recognizes contributors
Victory Brewing wasn’t the only award winner coming out of the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance dinner Thursday night.
Here’s a look at others:
Outstanding Conservationist Award
Janet Ebert is the recipient of the alliance’s 2017 Outstanding Conservationist Award.
According to the organization, Ebert “is a staunch advocate for the protection of quality habitats, Janet’s work as a botanist has been vital in the preservation of many thousands of acres of land in the Brandywine and Red Clay Valleys.”
Born in Wilmington, she has lived in the Brandywine Valley her entire life.
Among her accomplishments cited by BRC: Ebert volunteered for the first biological surveys of the King Ranch in the northern reaches of the Brandywine watershed in Chester County in 1984, helping to delineate the plant communities on the property made up of thousands of acres.
She soon branched out to do surveys throughout the region, working for organizations like the Delaware Nature Society, Woodlawn Trustees, the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, Mt. Cuba Center and the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance over the past three decades.
In local watersheds, she has produced the botanical surveys for Kennett, New Garden and Franklin townships, leading to the preservation of properties of conservation concern.
“Janet views the value of these surveys as a way to not only find rare plants to be protected but also to discover intact native plant communities and evaluate their quality and health,” the organization said in announcing her award.
2017 Environmental Instructor of the Year
Carol Buckley is a newer staff member who started as a volunteer and found her way to the education department. Buckley first learned about BRC and their programming in 1989. That summer she signed up her oldest son for a couple of weeks of summer camp. Her family also
started attending several of the music concerts and adult programs.
Although Buckley retired from her career as a research specialist at New Bolton Center in 2015, and it didn’t take long to realize that she needed activities to fill her time. She started volunteering to help with BRC and eventually became an environmental instructor.
A self-proclaimed “lab rat,” Buckley loves any of the programs that involve some science.
“Teachers comment how evident it is that Carol enjoys working with the children
and she clearly knows how to make the information appropriate for their age,” said James E. Jordan Jr., executive director and CEO of the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance.
2017 Teacher of the Year
Michael Replogle of Kennett High School was recognized as a teacher working in the Red Clay Watershed who dedicates his time in and out of the classroom to helping others develop an appreciation for the natural world.
Replogle teaches Earth and Space and AP Environmental Science at Kennett, where he has taught for 22 years.
His environmental science
class was so popular in its first year that an additional section was added this school year.
“BRC is proud to honor teachers like Michael Replogle who provide experiential science-based learning opportunities,” Jordan said.
Distinguished Volunteer Awards
This year’s volunteer award winners are Charlie Benzel III, and Jim and Deri Gawthrop.
Volunteers are a critical component in much of what the alliance does, Jordan said. In 2016, 1,268 volunteers donated 7,031 hours of their time which is valued by IRS standards at $169,728, he noted.