CARE’s 2022 Annual Stewardship Awards were presented on Nov. 3 during the Take Care Cape Cod Summit, “Driving Change on the Cape & Islands: There is no ‘Away’ for Roadside Trash.”
The awards are presented to an organization/individual and a Youth/Youth Group that exhibits day-to-day practices that support CARE’s mission to preserve and protect the natural environment, culture and history of Cape Cod & the Islands.
This year’s award was presented to Hyannis photographer, Sarah Thornington for “A Year of Plastic.” Several years ago Sarah committed to a daily beach cleanup for a year that she began to document. She shared what she collected via social media and turned some of the beach trash into art pieces. Her art has been displayed throughout New England and beyond in order to educate the public and tell a story about its impact on the environment. It is her hope that this will have a positive impact upon people’s behavior to affect change.
The Youth Award was presented to the Falmouth High School Ecology Club. The club has been active for more than 30 years promoting environmental education and conservation. It began by collecting paper recycling within the school and has expanded significantly boasting many activities and accomplishments. Some of them include planting a pollinator path at the school, hosting a weekly TV show that provides environmental tips, conducting area cleanups and teaching other students about endangered species and habitats.
Some of CARE’s previous recipients include Compost With Me, Cape Cod Beer, Woods Hole Sea Grant, the Cape Abilities “Green Team,” Plastic Free MV and several local high school students.
“Recognizing those within our community who are truly making a difference is one of the highlights of our work,” Jill Talladay, CARE’s founder and executive director explained. “Through contributions of ‘time, talent and treasure’ and mindful actions, this beautiful place will be preserved for future generations.”
The bi-annual summit held at Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich featured two panel discussions that addressed the problem of roadside litter and solutions that would either prevent it or clean it up.