SCA Joins Actor Robert Redford at Walden Woods Project Ceremony
(Boston, MA) September 17, 2014 – The Student Conservation Association (SCA), the national leader in youth service and stewardship, received the Walden Woods Project’s Environmental Challenge Award last night from Don Henley, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist and founder of the Walden Woods Project and Thoreau Institute. The presentation took place on stage at a packed Citi Performing Arts Center in Boston moments before a concert by Henley’s band, the Eagles.
In his opening remarks, Henley stated “today, more than ever, we need to foster the next generation of concerned and committed environmental stewards of our planet.”
Actor Robert Redford, who accepted the Walden Woods Project’s Global Environmental Leadership Award, warned in his keynote address that as the effects of climate change and over-development grow “we are running out of time” but he also pointed to young people as a solution. “Our youth are our future. And that’s why I’m here tonight in celebration of these honorees.”
SCA received the Environmental Challenge Award for engaging youth in hands-on conservation service and serving as a model for those who seek effective, constructive and sustainable outcomes. The award was accepted by SCA Vice President Kevin Hamilton and SCA intern Sophia Bass Werner, who just completed a summer program of mammal and habitat conservation at Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.
The award sponsors noted that SCA had recently reached the milestone of 75,000 members, and In addition to their immediate impact in preserving parks, forests and refuges in all 50 states, seven out of ten SCA alumni remain active in conservation through their careers, studies or volunteer activities.
The Walden Woods Project is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the land, literature, and legacy of Henry David Thoreau through conservation, education, research and advocacy. Founded 25 years ago, the Project uses the land it has protected in Walden Woods to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship and social responsibility, both cornerstones of Thoreau’s philosophy.