Hazel England of Great Swamp Watershed Association Among Four Women Honored for Wildlife Conservation Efforts

Former Governor, Tom Kean, Praises Honorees for Environmental Achievements

Morristown, NJ—The Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) announced today

that Hazel England, GSWA Director of Outreach and Education, was one of four women honored at the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey (CWF) 12^th annual Women & Wildlife Awards on Wednesday, November 1 at Duke Farms. Since 2006, CWF has been recognizing special individuals for their “achievements on behalf of New Jersey’s wildlife and the advances they have made in professions in which women have long been underrepresented.” Ms. England was honored for her strong environmental education program development.

Before joining GSWA in 2004, Ms. England worked in the Great Swamp for a decade as a Naturalist with Somerset County Park Commission, creating and conducting environmental education programs. She also worked as Executive Director of the Whitesbog Preservation Trust in the NJ Pine Barrens. At GSWA, Hazel develops and conducts educational water quality focused programs for students of all ages and the broader community. She also manages the stewardship at GSWA’s Conservation Management Area, coordinating restoration at the site. A native of Scotland, she has degrees in Zoology and Botany, and a master’s in Ecology and Environmental Management.

“I am honored to have received the Educator Women & Wildlife Award from Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ. It was truly humbling to be in the company of such inspirational women who are working in the field of conservation,” Hazel said. “I’m thrilled that my two daughters got to experience this event with me; learning about the great work these other remarkable women are doing, and gaining some very direct political insight from Governor Tom Kean. It was a real privilege to hear him speak and a highlight of the night for me.”

The 2017 CWF honoree list is comprised of four notable women in the environmental and conservation field including Ms. England, Jeannie Geremia of the Garden Club of New Jersey, Kelly Mooij of New Jersey Audubon, and Kris Schantz of the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Program.

“Tonight we are recognizing four great women who have done wonderful things and who have worked in their own way to make this world and this state a better place,” said former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean in his keynote speech. “They have worked to do whatever has to be done to make sure that when we pass this planet down to our children, and our grandchildren, that it is not worse than what we received. These four women show us what great things an individual can do for all of us.”

About the Great Swamp Watershed Association

Founded in 1981, the Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the water resources of the Passaic River region, from the Great Swamp headwaters to Newark Bay, for present and future generations. Through education, advocacy, science, land preservation, and stewardship, in collaboration with partners, we work to instill our communities with an awareness of water’s effect on health and the beauty of the environment, from source to sea.  The organization educates more than 2,500 school children, monitors over 30 stream locations, and holds approximately 40 public events each year.

For more information on the 2017 Women & Wildlife Awards, visit www.ConserveWildlifeNJ.org/getinvolved/event/women/

To learn more about CWF, visit www.ConserveWildlifeNJ.org