Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition is the recipient of an award by the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA). The Annual Awards recognize outstanding contributions to environmental education throughout Maine. Award winners were honored at a celebration on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Pilgrim Lodge in West Gardiner. 

Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition received the 2026 Environmental Partner of the Year Award.

In an MEEA news release announcing the awards, Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition (BBWC) describes itself as follows: BBWC has been involved in Environmental Education programs since it was founded in 2004. BBWC offers a wide range of Natural Literacy programs covering elementary and middle schools and adult environmental education. In 6 local schools, we offer a "Making Friends with Nature" program where our environmental educator Jennie Judkins provides over 5000 student contact hours per year and a "Fish Fiends" program in ten schools, where students get to raise Salmon from eggs to fingerlings and release them into a free run stream connected to Belfast Bay. For grades 6 and 7 we have an after-school program called the "Merlin Club" and a week-long in-depth summer program on Hurricane Island. For adults and families we offer numerous outdoor walks and talks and evening educational programs. The premier adult program is a 7-week training program called the "Penobscot Bay Stewards" (PBS) program. The PBS training is free, but the expectation is that participants will become volunteers on environmental and conservation initiatives in their communities working with BBWC or other non-profits. Finally, BBWC includes students in our community outreach and research activities. We have a high school student on our Board of Directors. The Belfast Area High School science club helps analyze and graph our water quality data and we even have a couple of students that are avid birders that co-lead our bird watching walks. If you would like more information on these programs you can contact Greg Biddinger (gbiddi@gmail.com). 

The list of 2026 award winners are:

1. Student of the Year: Dillon Jenkins, Junior at Scarborough High School

2. Joan B Saxe Grassroots Environmental Award: Luke Sekera-Flanders

3. Eberhard Thiele Environmental Educator Award: D Johannesen, Telstar High School and Sara King, Rural Aspirations Project

4. Environmental Partner of the Year Award: Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition

5. School of the Year Award: Ketcha Outdoors Farm & Forest Preschool

6. Excellence in Environmental Education Program: Three Sisters Garden Project  - Melissa Prescott and Heather O'Leary

“We are so excited to be able to bring folks from across the state together to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our 2026 awardees.," said Olivia Griset, MEEA’s Executive Director. "Maine is a national leader in outdoor and environmental education; we have some of the best educators, schools, youth leaders and programs in the nation leading nature-based education in communities across the state. It is truly an honor to celebrate and recognize these incredible individuals and institutions!”