The 2018 Conservation Educator Award goes to Nancy Newman of Charlottesville. Nominated by Frances Boninti of Rivanna Garden Club, Newman was a curriculum coordinator at Venable Elementary School in Charlottesville for many years before she retired in 1997. Upon retirement, she created an outdoor science curriculum for elementary students at Venable. Here, outdoor classrooms are home to birds, invertebrates, snakes, mammals and plant life, all thriving in the middle of an urban setting. These programs also benefit at-risk children, who monitor streams, hike, identify birds and plants. Under Newman’s leadership, the gardens at Venable have been designated as a Monarch Waystation and a National Wildlife Habitat.
Ivy Creek Natural Area, the Virginia Museum of Natural History and the Rockfish Gap Wildlife Rehabilitation Center all benefit from her passion for education. Newman gives lectures on many topics, including butterflies, rivers, owls and the Monacan Indians. Newman is dedicated to outdoor education, with a goal to create global citizens. Newman’s work exemplifies the mission of the GCV.
