Four master�s degree candidates in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) have been awarded the 2003 Gaylord Nelson Earth Day Fellowship.

Catherine Estes of Washington, D.C.; Heidi Hoover of Yellow Springs, Ohio; Stephanie Kane of South Setauket, N.Y., and Susanna Weber, Blair, Neb., were recognized for making significant contributions toward promoting conservation ethics and environmental education and for exhibiting future leadership potential in the field of environmental education.

The Wilderness Society initiated the annual award in 1990 in commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of Earth Day and in honor of its founder, former Wisconsin U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson.

Estes is currently a graduate assistant working with the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program at UWSP to develop and evaluate energy education resources that will be distributed to 5th� 8th grade teachers in Wisconsin. "The work Catherine has done to develop these resources will enable teachers to more easily provide hands-on and exciting energy education instruction," states Jennie Lane, director of the K-12 Energy Education Program.

Estes worked with several environmental education related organizations, including the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation and Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree from Mary Washington College.

Kane also has a graduate assistantship with the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program. Her research involved the creation of a conceptual framework for renewable energy education. She used her framework to assist in the development of a renewable energy education activity guide. Kane assisted in coordinating the statewide Solar Olympics.

Kane received her Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University and recently accepted a teaching position in New York City.

Hoover�s graduate assistantship is with the Center for Land Use Education at UWSP. Her research involves the development of a curricular framework for teaching about land use. She also is the Groundwater Guardian Education Coordinator for Portage County.

Hoover served for two years in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic after completing her Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University.

Weber�s assistantship and research focus on the evaluation and marketing of the environmental education and interpretation programs offered by the UWSP College of Natural Resources. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Weber served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala and has worked for the National Park Service as an Interpretive Park Ranger. Weber also is very active in volunteer efforts in Stevens Point.

UWSP has the nation�s largest environmental education faculty and the largest number of students majoring in environmental education. It offered the first conservation education degree for teachers in 1946.

Contributions to the scholarship fund should be made payable to: Gaylord Nelson Earth Day Scholarship Fund, c/o The Wilderness Society, 1615 M. Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

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