We are very proud and excited to announce that our very own Kristen Daly has been awarded TWO United States Forest Service Rise to the Future Awards for Public Awareness for the Calapooia Watershed Council’s Snorkeling Program!
- 2019 Regional USFS Rise to the Future Award Winner
- 2020 National USFS Rise to the Future Award Winner
The Rise to the Future Awards were initiated more than 30 years ago as part of the original Rise to the Future National Fisheries Program Strategy. These annual awards honor Forest Service staff and partners for their leadership in stewardship of fisheries, soil, water, air and wildlife resources on national forests and grasslands.
Willamette National Forest Youth Snorkeling Program is this year’s recipients of the Public Awareness Award. The Youth Snorkeling program is a collaboration between FS (Erick Larkin) and the Calapooia Watershed Council (Kristin Daly). The program is designed to get local students (grades 6-12) engaged in learning about watershed processes, increase their feeling of connection to the river, and to learn about the ecosystem services provided by their National Forest. Students are introduced to the “we all live upriver” concept with the hope that it may foster ownership and responsibility to sustain the health of our watersheds. Erick and Kristen were joined in their effort by the South Santiam Watershed Council and the Pacific Northwest Research Station to further expand the program, reaching kids in multiple communities outside the forest. The Youth Snorkeling program has been beneficial in bringing kids and nature together.
The Awards Ceremony will be held virtually on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm ET. The ceremony can be accessed here: https://usfs.adobeconnect.com/