Our Environmental Leadership Awards Benefit Dinner is held each Spring to honor individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to the conservation of birds, other wildlife, and their habitats.
Our 2016 Benefit, EXPERIENCE NATURE, will take place Wednesday, April 27, 2016, at 6 p.m. at The Belle Haven Club—honoring the Gregory Family for creating a legacy of wildlife conservation, and Melissa Spear of Common Ground for inspiring the next generation’s dedication to nature! Proceeds benefit Audubon's conservation and education work throughout all communities of Connecticut.
To purchase tickets or make a donation, please select here
NEW THIS YEAR: Bid in our Online Auction! The auction will open on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
For questions on corporate sponsorship, auction participation, and more, please contact audubon@cwandco.com.
2016 ELA Honorees
THE GREGORY FAMILY has created a rich history of conservation, initially influenced by W. Grant Gregory, Sr. and carried on by the entire family based on a passion for wildlife, habitat protection, and the experiences derived from a life that involves nature. Through their individual and collective work with organizations including the National Forest Foundation, Arbor Day Foundation, Wyoming Wildlife Foundation, Greenwich Garden Club, and North American Bluebird Society, as well as their leadership in founding the conservation-forward Glen Arbor Club and the WYLD business leadership program, each member of the Gregory family has made incredible contributions to the health of our environment, and above all, proven that our lives are ever-enriched by a connection to nature.
MELISSA SPEAR is the Executive Director of Common Ground, a New Haven center for environmental learning and leadership whose mission is to cultivate an environmental ethos in urban young people and adults through direct contact with the natural world. Under Melissa’s leadership, Common Ground was a founding partner in Audubon Connecticut’s first-ever Urban Oasis—a program that is focused on both people and nature, building on strong research that urban green spaces improve health, create amazing learning opportunities for the city’s students, clean our air and water, build community, and increase economic vitality.
Past ELA Honorees
To view full descriptions of past honorees, please select here.
- 2015 - Dan Esty, Katie O'Brien Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2015 - JP Morgan Chase, Corporate Environmental Leadership Award
- 2014 - John W. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., Katie O'Brien Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2014 - George E. Pataki, Environmental Leadership Award
- 2014 - Ken Salazar, Environmental Leadership Award
- 2013 - Eaddo Kiernan, Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2013 - Joni Steele Kimberlin & Kevin Kimberlin, Environmental Leadership Award
- 2012 - Jayni Chase, Environmental Leadership Award
- 2012 - Kathryn D. Wriston, Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2011 - Lucy Rockefeller Waletzky, M.D., Environmental Leadership Award
- 2009 - Christopher Shays, Environmental Leadership Award
- 2008 - David Ogilvy, Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award
- 2008 - Robert F. Schumann, Environmental Leadership Award
- 2006 - Dan W. Lufkin, Environmental Leadership Award
- 2005 - Donal C. O'Brien, Jr., Environmental Leadership Award
- 2003 - Phoebe Milliken, Environmental Leadership Award
