Nominations Open Now: Fairbank Award for Youth Environmental Action

Do you know any 12- to 19-year-olds who impress you with their commitment to the environment and their leadership skills? We encourage you to nominate them for the Fairbank Award for Youth Environmental Action. Nominations are open now through March 1, 2024.

Sarah and Owen Fairbank in their garden in Port Townsend, fall 2023. Photo by Hal Everett.

Jefferson Land Trust established the Fairbank Award in 2023 in honor of longtime Land Trust volunteers and supporters Sarah and Owen Fairbank.

The $500 award, provided by an anonymous community member, is given annually to a young person (12-19 years old) who has, in the last year, shown leadership, commitment, and innovation to build a community that’s healthy, happy, sustainable, and deeply connected to nature for generations to come.

The list below provides some examples of the types of actions that eligible nominees may be taking to demonstrate their commitment to environmental action in our community:

• Demonstrating initiative in environmental protection/restoration and/or new projects
• Influencing people’s behavior toward sustainable living
• Building environmental and climate change awareness within our community
• Engaging collaboratively and bringing about positive environmental-related change

2024 Eligibility Requirements:

• Nominees must be between 12-19 years old as of March 14, 2024
• Nominees must live in Jefferson County
• Jefferson Land Trust current or former staff members, board members, or their immediate family members are not eligible to win the award or to nominate anyone for the award

2024 Nomination Instructions:

Deadline: March 1, 2024.

To nominate a young leader you know, please email info[at]saveland.org with the subject line: Fairbank Award Nomination.

You may also drop off a paper version of your nomination at our office by March 1, or mail your nomination postmarked no later than March 1 to: Jefferson Land Trust, Attn: Fairbank Award, 1033 Lawrence Street, Port Townsend, WA, 98368.

Please answer the following questions in your document:

• Name of nominee:
• Name of nominee’s parent/guardian:
• Parent/guardian email or phone:
• In a few sentences, describe the nominee’s environmental action and leadership over the past year:
• Briefly describe any innovation or collaboration the nominee has used while taking environmental action:
• How have the nominee’s actions impacted the environment?
• How have the nominee’s actions resulted in change within the community?
• Your name:
• Your phone number:
• Are you a family member of a Jefferson Land Trust staff or board member?

Executive Director Richard Tucker presenting Diego Murray with the Fairbank Award for Youth Environmental Action at the Land Trust office on March 16, 2023.

The 2024 Fairbank Award winner’s guardian will be notified by email on March 8, 2024, and the winner will be announced at our 2024 Conservation Breakfast on March 14, 2024.

Thank you for your recognition and support of youth environmental action in Jefferson County!

Past Winners:

• 2023: Diego Murray (16)