BlueGreen Event Honors Carlton Ward Jr. for Conservation Leadership, Raises over $300,000 to Support Youth and Wildlife

Florida native Carlton Ward Jr. was honored Nov. 14 as the winner of the 2015 BlueGreen Award for Conservation Leadership in Florida. He was recognized before a crowd of nearly 400 during the annual BlueGreen Event at ”Alligator Ron“ Bergeron’s Green Glades Cowboy Ranch in Weston.

”Carlton has been instrumental in helping develop a strong connection between wildlife and conservation with his Florida Corridor vision,“ said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, the nonprofit that honored Ward. ”Without this type of vison and big-picture thinking, effective conservation in Florida is much tougher.“

"It's an honor to receive this award and I'm proud to work alongside organizations like the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to conserve the economic, cultural and recreational value of our wildlife resources so that they will be available and healthy for Florida's next generation,“ Ward said.

The annual BlueGreen fundraising event brought in more than $300,000 that will be used to help renovate the Everglades Youth Conservation Camp. This historic, wildlife-oriented camp is near Palm Beach on the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, and has served youths in South Florida since 1960.

The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is supporting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commissions’ efforts to expand the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network across the state.

Research has shown that today’s kids spend less time in the outdoors than any previous generation, but programs like ”Creating the Next Generation that Cares“ aim to change that.

”This year’s event was a huge success, thanks to the generosity of so many people. I am pleased and thankful to all our sponsors, conservation organizations, the outdoors industry and all the attendees,“ said Barreto.

”It was especially gratifying having Gov. Rick and First Lady Ann Scott. We sincerely thank them for being so generous with their time and their support for our youth efforts in Florida, so that future generations will be able to appreciate and enjoy their outdoor heritage,“ Barreto said.