Center for Inland Bays awards outstanding supporters
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays announced the 2021 recipients of the Friend of the Bays Awards, honors given to individuals, volunteers and businesses for their support, partnership and volunteering excellence.
In a Dec. 16 ceremony, the center recognized Ørsted, Sussex County Representatives and Senators of the Delaware General Assembly, and volunteer Richard Watson as the 2021 Friend of the Bays awardees.
Ørsted is a multinational power company that offers wind power, solar energy and storage, and renewable hydrogen to countries and companies around the world. Locally, it is at work on the Skipjack projects, which seek to bring offshore wind power and all of its benefits to Delaware. The company earned this year's Friend of the Bays Business Award for its commitment to sustainability and its support of the center’s efforts to protect and restore the Inland Bays.
"Ørsted’s tremendous support of center projects, from citizen science efforts to restoring native populations of oysters, to ensuring that open space is preserved for the benefit of all Delawareans, is a testament to their values as a company,” said Chris Bason, CIB executive director. “They understand that resilient communities are built upon a healthy local environment and that corporations have a responsibility to support the communities in which they operate.”
Sussex County Representatives and Senators of the Delaware General Assembly were presented with the partner award for their outstanding support of the James Farm Ecological Preserve and their long-standing collaboration with the center to protect and restore the Inland Bays. Accepting the award on their behalf were Rep. Ron Gray, R-Selbyville, and Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown.
“This year, in a wonderful showing of support, the efforts of the legislators raised nearly $400,000 for improvements to the James Farm Ecological Preserve,” said Anna Short, CIB development coordinator.
The 2021 Friend of the Bays Volunteer Award was presented to Richard Watson for his invaluable help during the Inland Bays Clean-Up, bay grass mapping and restoration, oyster reef planning, salt marsh monitoring and several other activities including building maintenance.
“We always enjoy having Richard on board the boat or in the marsh with us, and his help has always been greatly appreciated,” said Andrew McGowan, CIB environmental scientist.
The center also presented 10 volunteers with superlatives awards this year. These awards recognize exceptional individuals who engage in a variety of volunteer work at the center, from citizen science projects to outstanding outreach engagement. The 2021 Volunteer Superlatives awardees are Elizabeth Nalle, Scott Allen, Karen Ritgert, John Hanson, Susan Sigvardson, Edward Kane, Sandy Schriever, Noreen Spiegelman, William MacLachlan and Gerald Daugherty.
