Harvard Forest to Co-Present Conservation Award

Academics for Land Protection in New England (ALPINE), a land conservation network based at the Harvard Forest, will present the Charles H.W. Foster Award for Exemplary Academic Leadership in Land Conservation on February 22 to recognize Middlebury College's protection of its 2,100-acre Bread Loaf Campus in Vermont.

The new award honors Charles H.W. Foster, the distinguished conservation leader and mentor who passed away several years ago. 

Middlebury was selected for the award based on three criteria: "the outstanding effort to protect a landscape of high environmental and cultural significance; the high level of engagement of all stakeholders; and the far-reaching and lasting impact on the integrity and connectivity of conserved landscapes."

The award event, to be held at Harvard Kennedy School, will be co-sponsored by the Harvard Forest, Harvard Kennedy School's Energy and Natural Resources Program, Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

The event will feature comments from HF Director David Foster, Henry Lee (Director of the Environment and Natural Resources Program at Harvard Kennedy School) and James Levitt (Director of the Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest and Manager of Land Conservation Programs at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy). Accepting the Award on behalf of Middlebury College will be Middlebury President Laurie Patton. Following Dr. Patton's comments, Nan Jenks-Jay, Dean of Environmental Affairs at Middlebury, will offer a brief overview of the Bread Loaf initiative and its impact.

• Read the story in Vermont Business Magazine.
• Read the full press advisory.
• Learn more about ALPINE.

(Photo of Bread Loaf campus courtesy of Middlebury College)