The Sarah Thorne Conservation Capacity Award

The Sarah Thorne Conservation Capacity Award was created in 2005 as a way to recognize the many people who make successful land conservation happen in the state of New Hampshire. Recipients are intended to be people who, in the course of their own conservation efforts, have also enhanced the capacity of others to accomplish land conservation. As far as we know, it is the first such award to be available for individuals involved in a statewide variety of conservation groups and activities.

The award was created by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests to honor Sarah Thorne, who dedicated nearly 20 years of her career to land conservation in New Hampshire. Sarah worked for seven years at the Trust for New Hampshire Lands, and the balance at the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. She is now extending her efforts toward conservation for the future by working as a high school science teacher. Sarah Thorne will be presenting the award at the Saving Special Places Conference each year. The name of the award recipient will be inscribed on a permanent exhibit at the Conservation Center in Concord.

Previous recipients of the award include, Phil Auger, Extension Educator, Land and Water Conservation; Meade Cadot, Executive Director of the Harris Center for Conservation Education; Margaret Watkins, Executive Director of the Piscataquog Watershed Association; Debbie Stanley, Executive Director of the Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust; and Majory Swope, Executive Director of the NH Association of Conservation Commissions. Betsey Harris received the Sarah Thorne Award in 2009. She was recognized for her work with the Monadnock Conservancy and the Dublin Conservation Commission.