Excellence in Environmental Education Awards 2025Friday, January 16, 2026
10:45 - 11:45 a.m. The College of New Jersey
2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, NJ |
Congratulations to our 2025 Awardees:
Chris Brooks,
Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission Outstanding Environmental Educator in Non-formal Sector (works with schools) |
Diane Hewlett-Lowrie,
NJDEP Patricia F Kane Lifetime Achievement Award 
The Ridgeview Turtles
Pat Skelly Community Award |
Heather Amendolara,
Essex County Environmental Center Outstanding Environmental Educator in Non-formal Sector (works with the public) |
Awardee Biographies
Outstanding Environmental Educator - Non-formal - Works with the Public: Heather Amendolara, Essex County Environmental Center
Heather didn’t know that one could be a ‘Naturalist’ as a career. She had no idea that nature teachers existed.
She started her college career thinking she was going into law enforcement. Upon completing her associate’s degree in criminal justice, Heather transferred to NJIT. NJIT is known for its technological curriculum and an advisor encouraged her to work toward a newly offered degree STS (Science, Technology and Society). This curriculum was unexpectedly filled with environmental studies and many of the professors were clearly impacted by environmentalism and environmental education. There Heather studied urban nature, Leopold and R. Carlson, sounds of nature, nature wonders and how humans protect, neglect, or even destroy our natural world. After earning her Bachelors, Heather became certified to teach via the Alternate route program in NJ. But she didn’t land there.
A local YMCA Camp was looking for ‘per-diem’ educators. The job was posted in the papers (yes, the papers). Heather was hired to teach pond ecology, canoeing, rock wall climbing and even geocaching. Her co-workers called themselves Naturalists. She wondered, was she a Naturalist too? It turns out that she was! Her skills and knowledge grew, and she has since exhibited a strong talent for teaching a variety of nature programs to a variety of ages and abilities.
Heather moved to Essex County and works for the Essex County Park System. She has been a naturalist and educator for nearly 20 years. She is a mother of two and stepmother to one. Her family has two dogs and a cat, and they all live in the same home she was born in 52 years ago! Heather is grateful to be a naturalist and considers it an honor to connect people with nature in ways that are creative and fun!
Outstanding Environmental Educator - Non-formal - Works with Schools: Chris Brooks, Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission
Christopher Brooks has been a dedicated member of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) since 1996. He started his career as an Equipment & Building Operator in Final Clarifiers before transitioning to the MIS Department as a Network Specialist in 1999. In 2003, Chris became the Multimedia Program Coordinator, playing a pivotal role in the PVSC’s Education Outreach Program and serving as the facility’s in-house photographer. His work has been integral to PVSC’s mission of protecting and restoring the Passaic River, launched with the Passaic River/Newark Bay Restoration Program in 1996.
As Multimedia Program Coordinator, Chris visits schools across the PVSC treatment district, delivering interactive lessons designed to promote environmental stewardship. His engaging programs use multimedia presentations and hands-on activities to educate students about the importance of protecting the Passaic River Watershed. Since 2003, Chris has reached over 350,000 K–12 students, earning praise from educators and administrators for his engaging approach to teaching sustainability.
Beyond his work in education, Chris's photography has showcased PVSC operations from unique perspectives, including aerial shots from a helicopter and hovercraft. He also contributes to community projects, such as partnering with Special Needs Schools to build and paint birdhouses and bat houses for students with autism and other disabilities. Through his technical expertise and creative vision, Chris embodies PVSC’s mission of education, environmental restoration, and community engagement.
Patricia F. Kane Lifetime Award: Diane Hewlett-Lowrie, NJDEP
Always an avid student of nature with passion for being outdoors, Diane’s professional interest in Environmental Education began while studying biology and ecology at the University of the West of Scotland (then Paisley College of Science and Technology). There, Diane met Professor John Smyth. Prof Smyth was president of the Scottish Environmental Education Council (SEEC) and on the Environmental Education Committee of the IUCN. As a
representative of SEEC, Diane participated in the International Youth Conservation Exchange Program, then worked for a couple of years as an exchange coordinator on both sides of the Atlantic – introducing young environmental education professionals from numerous countries to the field of EE. One day, Dr. John Kirk (of the NJ School of Conservation) asked John Smyth if he knew of anyone interested in getting a Masters in EE. YES!
One year teaching at the NJ School of Conservation, learning from the best (Jerry Schierloh, John Kirk, Jim Merrit) and getting a Master’s in Environmental Education from Montclair was an experience of a lifetime!
Early career in New Jersey included a couple of years as a classroom teacher in Jersey City followed by 5 years at the Hackensack Meadowlands Environment Center – led by Anne Galli. There, Diane – along with 5 other educators introduced hundreds of students every week to the delights of mud, marshes and garbage! Diane was the coordinator of “NJ Critical Environmental Issues” – a graduate level course on environmental issues awareness designed to assist classroom teachers in the development of environmental lessons in their classrooms.
Then Diane went to Scotland to live forever...
Then she came back again.
After a brief stint with the Greater Newark Conservancy, Diane took over from Frank Gallagher at the Interpretive (now Nature) Center at Liberty State Park. This was in 1996 – when she was only 21 years old because you know, she’s not THAT old! Joined by Gina Provenzano and Lori Garth shortly thereafter, the Interpretive (Nature) Center specialized in programs to introduce children to the wonders of nature in the midst of the metropolis. Estuary ecology classes meant taking busloads of students from Jersey City and all over NJ to the sandy beach at Caven
Point (in Liberty State Park) to seine in the Hudson River. A hands-on connection to nature that cannot be duplicated by film or book.
Diane spent about 4 years at Liberty State Park before being promoted to a regional resource interpretive specialist for the NJ State Park Service – a position she held for 9 years before being promoted to a ‘chief naturalist” role in 2009. As a “Naturalist”, moving to Trenton was difficult but counteracted by her taking a major role in coordinating the State Parks’ Trails Program - an inventive way to be in the field for at least half the week. Out of this was born the GPS database for all official trails in the state park service, a web-based trail tracker program, and a slew of educational trails guides for park visitors.
Since 2020, as Supervisor of the Office of Communications, Interpretation and Education for NJ Parks, Forests & Historic Sites, Diane has had her hands full but is leaving her mark with a few programs, including the initiation of the social media environmental education series “Notes From Our Naturalists” which REALLY took off during covid. She has been working with the staff of the Forest Resource Education Center and her own team to revitalize the old “Sensory Awareness Trail” at the FREC to make it as inclusive as possible for all people to be able to get out into nature. Modifications include an audio feature that describes the trail and its environs, interpretive signs with large font and Braille, 3D objects to touch, and a 3D touchable trail map. Diane also has a major role in training new and seasonal naturalists in the Parks, Forests and Historic Sites - with a special emphasis on the BEST ways to teach about nature that results in the audience WANTING to do something to protect it …. Yea Olde Awareness to Action model!
Pat Skelly Community Award: The Ridgeview Turtles
The Ridgeview Conservancy is a volunteer-led organization that works to restore connections to nature by educating youth and the public to respect, protect, and steward wild resources. They design trails and programs to inspire observation, action, and fun in forests, fields and streams.
For years they have organized a group of teen volunteers from Princeton High School, called The Ridgeview Turtles, to help preserve hundreds of acres of land in Princeton’s “Emerald Necklace.” The Turtles spend every weekend removing invasive species and designing woodland trails.
Since 2009, the group has worked to open Ridgeview Woods, a 55-acre forest reserve along Princeton’s northern boundary. Much of the forest had been infiltrated with invasive species which covered diabase boulders and suffocated trees and native wildflowers. Dedication and hard work on the part of the youth stewards have demonstrated what collective action toward a common good can accomplish. The students have learned to distinguish native from invasive species, to discern which species are edible and medicinal, and to see fascinating indigenous and literary histories hidden in Princeton’s forgotten forest.
After a decade of work in these forests, Ridgeview Woods has been described as “enchanting” and “a fairyland”. A trailhead from Ridgeview Road will soon make this forest accessible to the public.
The next project was the Provinceline Woods Tract, which the Turtles dubbed “The 153 acre Woods.” They cleared tons of non native plants, uncovered historical artifacts and built woodland trails with viewing areas. They gave the areas whimsical names that invite exploration and relaxation.
After the students graduate high school and move on to college, many of them return to mentor the younger people. The Ridgeview Turtles tagline “ young people protecting old forests” is just the surface of what they do. They have created an inclusive, welcoming and nurturing community that inspires hope for the future.
Heather didn’t know that one could be a ‘Naturalist’ as a career. She had no idea that nature teachers existed.
She started her college career thinking she was going into law enforcement. Upon completing her associate’s degree in criminal justice, Heather transferred to NJIT. NJIT is known for its technological curriculum and an advisor encouraged her to work toward a newly offered degree STS (Science, Technology and Society). This curriculum was unexpectedly filled with environmental studies and many of the professors were clearly impacted by environmentalism and environmental education. There Heather studied urban nature, Leopold and R. Carlson, sounds of nature, nature wonders and how humans protect, neglect, or even destroy our natural world. After earning her Bachelors, Heather became certified to teach via the Alternate route program in NJ. But she didn’t land there.
A local YMCA Camp was looking for ‘per-diem’ educators. The job was posted in the papers (yes, the papers). Heather was hired to teach pond ecology, canoeing, rock wall climbing and even geocaching. Her co-workers called themselves Naturalists. She wondered, was she a Naturalist too? It turns out that she was! Her skills and knowledge grew, and she has since exhibited a strong talent for teaching a variety of nature programs to a variety of ages and abilities.
Heather moved to Essex County and works for the Essex County Park System. She has been a naturalist and educator for nearly 20 years. She is a mother of two and stepmother to one. Her family has two dogs and a cat, and they all live in the same home she was born in 52 years ago! Heather is grateful to be a naturalist and considers it an honor to connect people with nature in ways that are creative and fun!
Outstanding Environmental Educator - Non-formal - Works with Schools: Chris Brooks, Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission
Christopher Brooks has been a dedicated member of the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC) since 1996. He started his career as an Equipment & Building Operator in Final Clarifiers before transitioning to the MIS Department as a Network Specialist in 1999. In 2003, Chris became the Multimedia Program Coordinator, playing a pivotal role in the PVSC’s Education Outreach Program and serving as the facility’s in-house photographer. His work has been integral to PVSC’s mission of protecting and restoring the Passaic River, launched with the Passaic River/Newark Bay Restoration Program in 1996.
As Multimedia Program Coordinator, Chris visits schools across the PVSC treatment district, delivering interactive lessons designed to promote environmental stewardship. His engaging programs use multimedia presentations and hands-on activities to educate students about the importance of protecting the Passaic River Watershed. Since 2003, Chris has reached over 350,000 K–12 students, earning praise from educators and administrators for his engaging approach to teaching sustainability.
Beyond his work in education, Chris's photography has showcased PVSC operations from unique perspectives, including aerial shots from a helicopter and hovercraft. He also contributes to community projects, such as partnering with Special Needs Schools to build and paint birdhouses and bat houses for students with autism and other disabilities. Through his technical expertise and creative vision, Chris embodies PVSC’s mission of education, environmental restoration, and community engagement.
Patricia F. Kane Lifetime Award: Diane Hewlett-Lowrie, NJDEP
Always an avid student of nature with passion for being outdoors, Diane’s professional interest in Environmental Education began while studying biology and ecology at the University of the West of Scotland (then Paisley College of Science and Technology). There, Diane met Professor John Smyth. Prof Smyth was president of the Scottish Environmental Education Council (SEEC) and on the Environmental Education Committee of the IUCN. As a
representative of SEEC, Diane participated in the International Youth Conservation Exchange Program, then worked for a couple of years as an exchange coordinator on both sides of the Atlantic – introducing young environmental education professionals from numerous countries to the field of EE. One day, Dr. John Kirk (of the NJ School of Conservation) asked John Smyth if he knew of anyone interested in getting a Masters in EE. YES!
One year teaching at the NJ School of Conservation, learning from the best (Jerry Schierloh, John Kirk, Jim Merrit) and getting a Master’s in Environmental Education from Montclair was an experience of a lifetime!
Early career in New Jersey included a couple of years as a classroom teacher in Jersey City followed by 5 years at the Hackensack Meadowlands Environment Center – led by Anne Galli. There, Diane – along with 5 other educators introduced hundreds of students every week to the delights of mud, marshes and garbage! Diane was the coordinator of “NJ Critical Environmental Issues” – a graduate level course on environmental issues awareness designed to assist classroom teachers in the development of environmental lessons in their classrooms.
Then Diane went to Scotland to live forever...
Then she came back again.
After a brief stint with the Greater Newark Conservancy, Diane took over from Frank Gallagher at the Interpretive (now Nature) Center at Liberty State Park. This was in 1996 – when she was only 21 years old because you know, she’s not THAT old! Joined by Gina Provenzano and Lori Garth shortly thereafter, the Interpretive (Nature) Center specialized in programs to introduce children to the wonders of nature in the midst of the metropolis. Estuary ecology classes meant taking busloads of students from Jersey City and all over NJ to the sandy beach at Caven
Point (in Liberty State Park) to seine in the Hudson River. A hands-on connection to nature that cannot be duplicated by film or book.
Diane spent about 4 years at Liberty State Park before being promoted to a regional resource interpretive specialist for the NJ State Park Service – a position she held for 9 years before being promoted to a ‘chief naturalist” role in 2009. As a “Naturalist”, moving to Trenton was difficult but counteracted by her taking a major role in coordinating the State Parks’ Trails Program - an inventive way to be in the field for at least half the week. Out of this was born the GPS database for all official trails in the state park service, a web-based trail tracker program, and a slew of educational trails guides for park visitors.
Since 2020, as Supervisor of the Office of Communications, Interpretation and Education for NJ Parks, Forests & Historic Sites, Diane has had her hands full but is leaving her mark with a few programs, including the initiation of the social media environmental education series “Notes From Our Naturalists” which REALLY took off during covid. She has been working with the staff of the Forest Resource Education Center and her own team to revitalize the old “Sensory Awareness Trail” at the FREC to make it as inclusive as possible for all people to be able to get out into nature. Modifications include an audio feature that describes the trail and its environs, interpretive signs with large font and Braille, 3D objects to touch, and a 3D touchable trail map. Diane also has a major role in training new and seasonal naturalists in the Parks, Forests and Historic Sites - with a special emphasis on the BEST ways to teach about nature that results in the audience WANTING to do something to protect it …. Yea Olde Awareness to Action model!
Pat Skelly Community Award: The Ridgeview Turtles
The Ridgeview Conservancy is a volunteer-led organization that works to restore connections to nature by educating youth and the public to respect, protect, and steward wild resources. They design trails and programs to inspire observation, action, and fun in forests, fields and streams.
For years they have organized a group of teen volunteers from Princeton High School, called The Ridgeview Turtles, to help preserve hundreds of acres of land in Princeton’s “Emerald Necklace.” The Turtles spend every weekend removing invasive species and designing woodland trails.
Since 2009, the group has worked to open Ridgeview Woods, a 55-acre forest reserve along Princeton’s northern boundary. Much of the forest had been infiltrated with invasive species which covered diabase boulders and suffocated trees and native wildflowers. Dedication and hard work on the part of the youth stewards have demonstrated what collective action toward a common good can accomplish. The students have learned to distinguish native from invasive species, to discern which species are edible and medicinal, and to see fascinating indigenous and literary histories hidden in Princeton’s forgotten forest.
After a decade of work in these forests, Ridgeview Woods has been described as “enchanting” and “a fairyland”. A trailhead from Ridgeview Road will soon make this forest accessible to the public.
The next project was the Provinceline Woods Tract, which the Turtles dubbed “The 153 acre Woods.” They cleared tons of non native plants, uncovered historical artifacts and built woodland trails with viewing areas. They gave the areas whimsical names that invite exploration and relaxation.
After the students graduate high school and move on to college, many of them return to mentor the younger people. The Ridgeview Turtles tagline “ young people protecting old forests” is just the surface of what they do. They have created an inclusive, welcoming and nurturing community that inspires hope for the future.
Categories & Criteria
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- Patricia F. Kane Lifetime Achievement Award
Demonstrate the following:- The nominee has shown a commitment to EE activities for most of his/her professional life.
- The nominee is a current resident of New Jersey.
- The nominees EE activities have proven to benefit residents of the state.
- The nominee’s activities have the potential to be used by others in the field as measured by publication and distribution.
- The nominee’s EE activities emphasized and/or practiced the awareness to action process with those for whom the activities were intended.
- The nominee has evolved into a leader in the field of EE, through vocation or avocation.