New Brunswick citizens and group presented with environmental awards

This  past weekend three environmental awards were presented to New Brunswick citizens and environmental  groups in honour of exemplary service to their community. The prizes, awarded by the New Brunswick Environmental   Network (NBEN), recognize significant efforts by citizens  and  citizen groups toward the protection and restoration of New Brunswick’s environment.

Sabine  Dietz,  a  director  of the board of Nature NB and a member of many other non-profit groups, was the recipient of the Samaqan Award. Dietz  is currently working at the provincial level as coordinator for the Regional Adaptation Collaborative which involves many types of agencies  and  governments and is focused on a number of projects that evaluate areas of concern, identifying  infrastructure at risk, mitigation, and adaptation. According to Mary Ann Coleman, Executive Director of the NBEN, “Sabine is being given this award in recognition
of her determined and steadfast devotion to building a collaborative movement  to protect New Brunswick coasts and coastal communities from the impacts of climate change”.

The  Gaia Award was presented to Stephanie Merrill, Freshwater Program Coordinator with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. According to Coleman, “Stephanie has poured her heart and soul into working with community  groups across the province.” The prize recognizes “her inspirational and stalwart  effort to build a province-wide movement dedicated to protecting New Brunswick communities from the perils of shale gas fracking.”

The Phoenix Award is dedicated to those who have been through the fire. “In this province, the community of Penobsquis has been in the public eye for the past few years,” said Coleman. “They lost their well  water  due  to  industrial activity and, since then, have had to fight  many battles on many fronts in search of compensation for their loss.”  The 2011 Phoenix Award was presented to the Concerned Citizens of  Penobsquis  “in  recognition  of  their  unfaltering commitment to defending  their  community and home from the environmental impacts of industrial expansion in the face of a multitude of obstacles.”

The  awards  were  presented at the 20th anniversary of the NBEN which was held during the Annual General Assembly in New Maryland on October 22,  2011.   During the assembly, member groups of the NBEN attended various  workshops, discussions and field trips in the area.  As well, in celebration of the 20th anniversary, participants enjoyed a local food buffet and the music of the Fredericton band, Weak Size Fish.

The New Brunswick Environmental Network is a non-profit communication network  of  over  90 citizen environmental  groups  from across the province. The goal of the Network is to encourage communication among groups and between groups, government and other sectors.