2026 Environmental Awards
EEASC also presented awards recognizing excellence in youth leadership, environmental education, conservation, business, nonprofit leadership, and public service.
Outstanding Youth Award: Melaina Dickinson
Melaina Dickinson recently graduated from Riverside High School in Greer, where she distinguished herself as a student leader, environmental advocate, and volunteer. Nominated by teacher Mary Beth Adams, Dickinson was recognized for her dedication to South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream as a volunteer water quality monitor and for her leadership in her school's Good for Green Club, where she helped educate fellow students about environmental stewardship and sustainability. This fall, she will attend the University of Colorado Boulder to study Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Outstanding Youth Award: Jack Wrigley
Jack Wrigley, a Cub Scout and student at Heathwood Hall in Columbia, helped make South Carolina history this spring by successfully advocating for the Prothonotary Warbler to become the state's official migratory bird. Known as the "swamp canary" for its brilliant yellow plumage, the species migrates thousands of miles each year between South America and South Carolina's wetlands. Jack's passion for birds and conservation demonstrates how young people can make a meaningful impact on protecting the state's natural heritage.
Outstanding Youth Award: Heath Wenger and Andrew Brannon
Selected as senior engineering interns at the Center for Advanced Technical Studies (CATE Center), Heath Wenger and Andrew Brannon secured grant funding to design and build four greenhouse kits equipped with solar-powered ventilation fans and gravity-fed rain barrels.
Partnering with Leaphart Elementary School, a Lexington County Green Step School, they planned and led environmental and engineering lessons for four fourth-grade classes. Under their guidance, students assembled the greenhouse systems while learning how sustainable technologies benefit the environment and strengthen engineering and problem-solving skills. The project also helped the CATE Center become a certified Green Step School, with hopes of expanding the student-led model to schools across South Carolina.
Environmental Educator of the Year: Cathy Taylor
Throughout her distinguished career, Cathy Taylor dedicated herself to helping South Carolinians discover the wonder of the natural world. As Interpretive Ranger at Paris Mountain State Park, she developed and led hands-on environmental education programs for generations of students, with a special focus on second and fifth graders, teaching them about habitats, wildlife, and the importance of protecting South Carolina's natural spaces. Beyond leading programs, Cathy created interpretive exhibits, conducted historical research, and developed educational materials that enriched the park experience for countless visitors.
Writer of the Year: Glenis Redmond
Award-winning poet, educator, and South Carolina Poet Laureate Emerita Glenis Redmond received EEASC's Writer of the Year Award for using storytelling and poetry to deepen public appreciation for South Carolina's landscapes, history, and natural beauty. Her celebrated work—including two poetry collections inspired by visits to every South Carolina state park—demonstrates the powerful role storytelling plays in environmental education. Earlier this year, Redmond received South Carolina's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Edward Donovan
Dr. Edward P. Donovan received EEASC's Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 55 years of excellence in science, STEM, and environmental education. A retired adjunct science education professor at USC Upstate and NASA Educator, Donovan has presented more than 400 workshops and professional development programs for educators, inspiring generations of teachers and students across South Carolina and beyond.
Green Business of the Year: Junk King
Junk King of Spartanburg was recognized for its commitment to sustainability through recycling, reuse, and waste diversion. Since opening in 2025, the company has recycled more than 150 tons of scrap metal while donating and repurposing reusable materials that might otherwise enter local landfills. Through its work, Junk King also promotes responsible waste management and environmental stewardship throughout the community.
Nonprofit of the Year: Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE)
The Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE) was recognized for its outstanding commitment to land conservation, environmental education, and community engagement. Through protected natural areas, trails, volunteer stewardship opportunities, school partnerships, and public programs, SPACE connects people of all ages with the outdoors while fostering environmental literacy and a lifelong commitment to conservation across the Spartanburg community.
Elected Official of the Year: Mayor Jerome Rice, City of Spartanburg
Mayor Jerome Rice was honored for his leadership in advancing environmental stewardship through community partnerships, sustainability initiatives, and public engagement. From supporting Arbor Day, Earth Day, and Plastic Free July to championing the Sparkle A City Street program, Rice has helped make environmental responsibility a shared community priority while fostering collaboration among local government, nonprofits, educators, and residents.
Each year, EEASC's annual conference brings together classroom teachers, naturalists, park rangers, nonprofit professionals, state agency staff, higher education faculty, and community leaders to exchange ideas, strengthen partnerships, and advance environmental education across South Carolina. The annual awards celebrate the individuals and organizations whose work is helping build a more environmentally literate and engaged state.
For more information about the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina or the Green Step Schools program, visit www.eeasc.org or contact communications@eeasc.org.
