The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is accepting nominations for the Annual Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Award, given in recognition of conservation work in environmental justice communities in Pennsylvania.
Environmental justice refers to the effort to ensure that people with lower incomes and Black, Indigenous, and communities of color aren’t disproportionately harmed by pollution and other environmental threats. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection considers any census block group where 20 percent or more individuals live in poverty, or 30 percent or more of the population identifies as a minority, to be in an environmental justice area.
The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, welcomes nominations of anyone in Pennsylvania who has shown exemplary leadership in their community through environmental restoration, awareness, education, and/or conservation work. This includes community tree plantings, rain garden and/or native pollinator garden installation or plantings, regenerative agriculture or urban farming/permaculture, or community beautification in an environmental justice community.
Nominees are ranked on their community engagement, collaboration, and environmental conservation work with environmental justice communities in support of planting 10 million trees for Pennsylvania. Nominees are given credit for using science, research, innovative, and creative approaches to conservation. A volunteer committee of environmental leaders, past Dock Award winners, and others will determine the winners.
To submit a nomination, visit https://tenmilliontrees.org/contact/mld/. Forms are also available by emailing [email protected], or calling (717) 200-4543. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 29. The award winners will receive $5,000 worth of native trees and supplies from the partnership, to be used for a 2024 tree project.
Now in its fourth year, the award was created to honor the spirit of Mira Lloyd Dock, who pursued urban beautification and forest conservation at a time when women and people of color were not welcomed at the decision-making table.
Mira Lloyd Dock is recognized as the first Pennsylvania woman to lead the way in forest conservation. She was an advocate for Penn’s Woods and in 1901 was appointed to the State Forest Reservation Commission by Pennsylvania Governor William Stone.
The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership will present the award during the Pennsylvania Forestry Association’s Annual Symposium on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Toftrees resort in State College.
To learn more about the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, visit TenMillionTrees.org.
