Sophomore Honored at NWF Awards Dinner in D.C.

Isabella Todaro ’13 recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to accept a Conservation Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Federation at their Annual Meeting Awards Dinner. Those honored at the dinner represent “the best and the brightest individuals and organizations whose actions to help the conservation movement are exemplary.”

Isabella was recognized for her work on wetland preservation through WET (Wetlands Education Team), an organization she founded several years ago along with five other students from West Geauga. The Team has created a cooperative education program that included erecting nesting platforms to help osprey recover from the declining wetlands, building outdoor classrooms to educate students about native plants and wetlands, starting a recycling program on their campus, promoting reusable water bottles, lobbying politicians, educating thousands of citizens through presentations, and raising thousands of dollars to support their projects.

While the group has received numerous awards and commendations – including being recognized as Upstanders at the 2010 Choosing to Participate: Facing History and Ourselves Exhibit for demonstrating “a new model of cooperative education and a more sustainable way to live” – the NWF award, which is accompanied by a sizeable grant to support the Team’s continuing efforts, is its most significant honor to date.