Past Awards

2025 | Missoula

• Lifetime Achievement Award – Joe & Lana Batts

2024 | Helena

• Conservationist of the Year – Held v. State of Montana youth plaintiffs

2023 | Great Falls

• Conservationist of the Year – U.S. Senator Jon Tester

2022 | Lewistown

• Environmental Educator of the Year- Denise Pengeroth
• Lifetime Achievement Award- Bob Martinka

2021 | No festival or awards due to COVID

2020 | No festival or awards due to COVID

2019 | Glasgow

• Conservationist of the Year – Sherry Ritter (Missoula)
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Mike Schwitters (Choteau)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Harriet Marble (Chester)

2018 | Kalispell

• Conservationist of the Year – Dan Bennett (Great Falls)
• Citizen Scientist of the Year – Steve Gniadek (Columbia Falls)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Denny Olson (Kalispell)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Lewis Young (Eureka)

2017

• Conservationist of the Year – The Montana Natural Heritage Program (Helena)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Beth Hill (Great Falls)
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Gail Engler (Great Falls/Seattle)
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Chuck and Jean Carlson (Fort Peck)

2016

• Conservationist of the Year – Becky Kean (Montana Raptor Conservation Center)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Larry Weeks (Missoula)
• Citizen Scientist of the Year – Gary Swant (Deer Lodge)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Bev Orth Geoghegan (Five Valleys Audubon)

Special Achievement Awards:

• Outstanding Achievement – Jeff Marks, Dan Casey & Paul Hendricks (co-authors of the 2016 reference book, Birds of Montana)
• Science Outreach Award – Whisper Camel-Means and Stephanie Gillin (Tribal Wildlife Management Program, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes)

2015

• Conservationist of the Year – Amy Cilimburg (MT Audubon staff)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Vince Yannone (Helena)
• Citizen Scientist of the Year – Harriet Marble (Chester)
• Special Achievement Award – Jane Beasley (Helena)
• Special Achievement Award – Jay Sumner (MT Peregrine Institute)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Jo Lace and Brian Shovers (Last Chance Audubon)

2014

• Conservationist of the Year – Paulette Epple (Sacjawea Audubon)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Carol Ward (Montana Audubon)
• Citizen Scientist of the Year – Kate Stone (Bitterroot Audubon)
• Special Achievement Award – Peter Norlander (Sacajawea Audubon)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Jack Kirkley (Pintler Audubon)

2013

• Conservationist of the Year – Kristi DuBois (MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Heather Bilden (Montana Audubon)
• Citizen Scientist of the Year – Dan Sullivan (Last Chance Audubon)
• Special Achievement Award – Bob and Beverly Skinner (CM Russell National Wildlife Refuge)

2012

• Conservationist of the Year – Linda Winnie (Flathead Audubon)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Ashley Mason (Flathead Audubon)
• Citizen Scientist of the Year – John Parker (Sacajawea Audubon)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Bob Lopp (Flathead Audubon)

2011

• Conservationist of the Year – Steve Hoffman (Montana Audubon)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Carla Wambach (Helena)
• Special Achievement Award – Catherine Wightman (MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Ron Farmer (Sacajawea Audubon)

2010

• Conservationist of the Year – Dr. Steve Running (University of Montana)
• Environmental Educators of the Year – Dick Hutto and Sue Reel (Missoula)
• Special Achievement Award – Bitterroot Audubon (Bitterroot IBA)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Jim Brown (Five Valleys Audubon)

2009

• Conservationist of the Year – McKenzie Graye (Valier)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Lisa Flowers (Boone and Crockett Club)
• Special Achievement Award – Richard Mousel (Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – George Engler (Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon)

2008

• Conservationist of the Year – Theresa Keaveny (Montana Conservation Voters)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – John Miller (Billings)
• Special Achievement Award – Kayhan Ostovar (Yellowstone Valley Audubon)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Jim Phelps (Yellowstone Valley Audubon)

2007

• Conservationist of the Year – Five Valleys Audubon (Clark Fork River/Grass Valley IBA)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – John Scheuering (Rosebud Audubon)
• Special Achievement Award – Angie Kociolek (Sacjawea Audubon)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Debra Doerflinger (Pintler Audubon)

2006

• Conservationist of the Year – Dan Casey (American Bird Conservancy)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Dean Smith (Yellowstone Valley Audubon)
• Special Achievement Award – Dennis Jones (Dillon)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Jim Brown (Five Valleys Audubon)

2005

• Conservationist of the Year – Elsie Tuss (Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Arla Eckert (Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon)
• Special Achievement Award – Mary Geis (Bozeman)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Don Stoecker (Pintler Audubon)

2004

• Conservationist of the Year – Louie Bouma (Blackfoot Valley)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Ellen Horowitz (Columbia Falls)
• Special Achievement Award – Hilary Turner (Last Chance Audubon)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – John Ormiston (Bitterroot Audubon)

2003

• Conservationist of the Year – Brent Mitchell (Flathead Audubon)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Flathead Audubon Community Naturalist Program
• Special Achievement Award – Susan Lenard (for work on MT Bird Distribution)
• Special Achievement Award – Cedron Jones (for work on MT Bird Distribution)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Chuck Carlson (Ft. Peck)

2002

• Conservationist of the Year – Larry Weeks (Five Valleys)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Jean Smith (Billings teacher)
• Special Achievement Award – George Holton (Helena)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Helen Carlson (Billings)

2001

• Conservationist of the Year – Janet Ellis (Montana Audubon staff)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Ana Marquez (Birds Beyond Borders/Mexico)
• Special Achievement Award – Harriet Marble (Chester)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Ferne Cohen (Flathead Audubon)

2000

• Conservationist of the Year – Howard Strause (Great Falls)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Kate Davis (Raptors of the Rockies)
• Land Stewardship Award – Flathead Audubon – for Owen Sowerwine
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Rod and June Ash (Flathead Audubon)

1999

• Conservationist of the Year – Rod Ash (Flathead Audubon)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Beth Underwood (Bitterroot Audubon)
• Land Stewardship Award – Mary Bradshaw (Ovando)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Gordon and Lila Weber (Yellowstone Valley Audubon)

1998

• Conservationist of the Year – George Engler (Great Falls)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Jean Smith (Helena)
• Land Stewardship Award – Vince Ames (Red Lodge)

1997

• Conservationist of the Year – Margaret Adams (Great Falls)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Pat Gudmundson (Miles City)

1996

• Conservationist of the Year – Jim Phelps (Billings)
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Urana Clarke (Livingston)