Bay Nature's 2018 Local Hero Awards Dinner: Photos -

Bay Nature Institute’s Local Hero Awards Dinner on Sunday, March 25, 2018 brought together 260 conservation advocates, nature lovers, and Bay Nature supporters to celebrate three extraordinary conservation leaders in our community. The theme of this year’s dinner was “Connectivity: Bringing Together People and Nature “: Keynote speaker Rue Mapp, founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, spoke of her formative experiences in the outdoors and her successful national movement to forge connections to nature.

Below are selected photos from the event. Photos by Scott Braley. To view more photos from this special evening, click here.

Bay Nature 2018 Local Heroes Lisa Micheli, Sandra Corzantes, and Walter Moore.

Keynote speaker Rue Mapp of Outdoor Afro.

Bay Nature Executive Director/Publisher Regina Starr Ridley.

Youth Engagement Award winner Sandra Corzantes accepts her award from board member Nancy Westcott.

Lisa Micheli of Pepperwood accepts the Environmental Education Award.

l to r: Bay Nature Board Chair Bruce Hartsough, award winner Lisa Micheli, and Bay Nature Founder David Loeb.

Conservation Action Award winner Walter Moore of Peninsula Open Space Trust with his wife Barrie.

Award winners past and present (l to r): Rebecca Johnson, Allen Fish, Alison Young, Lisa Micheli, Naftali Moed, Mia Monroe, Liam O’Brien, and Robin Grossinger.

2018 Local Hero for Youth Engagement, Sandra Corzantes (center) with last year’s winner Uriel Hernandez (l), and MidPen education program manager Renee Fitzsimons (r) and her daughter Elyse.

l to r: Save The Redwoods League President & CEO Sam Hodder, former Bay Nature board chair Larry Orman, former U.S. Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich, and Bay Nature board member Reed Holderman.

l to r: Bay Nature event committee member Sue R. and board members Catherine Fox, Bob Schildgen, and John Raeside.

Bay Nature volunteer Trish Hare helps out at the silent auction tables.

l to r: USGS scientist Alicia Torregrosa, Board Chair Bruce Hartsough, author Mary Ellen Hannibal, Editor in Chief Victoria Schlesinger, and Editorial Director Eric Simons.

WANT TO SEE MORE PHOTOS? Click here to view all images from the 2018 Local Hero Awards Dinner. Hope to see you next year!