Two Manatee County women honored for environmental work

Yvette Little and Julie Childers Henry have big dreams about a better environmental future, and their work in the area has gotten them some recognition.

The two women recently received Audubon/Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowships for their work in Manatee County, a press release said. The TogetherGreen Fellowship offers specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals, and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each Fellow receives $10,000 toward a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy, and contributing to greater environmental health.

According to a press release, the TogetherGreen Fellowship program invests in high-potential environmentalists, providing them with the tools, resources, visibility and a peer network to help them lead the conservation actions needed to shape a greener, healthier future. Audubon and Toyota launched the five-year TogetherGreen initiative in 2008 to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders and offer opportunities to volunteer to significantly benefit the environment.

For her fellowship, Little will expand the Pooches for the Planet program, a pet waste education campaign managed by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. The project is working to promote the proper disposal of pet waste to prevent harmful fecal coliform bacteria and excess nutrients from washing into Tampa Bay. Keeping pet waste out of the water will improve both watershed health and residents’ quality of life. Little will work with local partners to develop shelter adoption kits around this issue, as well as gain sponsorship and media attention for the initiative.

Little, who lives in Ellenton, is currently the co-owner of Simply Green Solutions LLC, where she works to build the capacity of local environmental groups to achieve their missions in cost-effective, strategic ways.

Henry, of Bradenton, will work through Conservation Enterprises Unlimited to create a program that helps people act on their concern for the environment, ”Wild Carbon.“ Through partnerships with groups already working on educational outreach, wildlife habitat protection and carbon offsetting, the Wild Carbon project will provide a compelling way for people, specifically small businesses, to reduce the climatic impacts of their energy use and make a measurable difference to wildlife in need. This project addresses both current and future conservation needs, since carbon offsetting improves the environment today through habitat restoration and protects our future environment by mitigating climate change.

Henry currently serves as the Director of USA activities and projects for Conservation Enterprises Unlimited, a global network of professionals who bring international expertise blended with local attention to each project. In that capacity, she facilitates projects involving conservation strategy, community engagement, green business coaching, training and strategic planning for clients in Australia, Canada and the U.S.

”Yvette and Julie are the kind of people that can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,“ said Audubon president John Flicker. ”Each of our TogetherGreen Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. Together, they represent the talented and diverse leadership the environmental community will need to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities confronting us now and in the years to come.“

”This project expands the education for protecting our water quality and reducing stormwater runoff Ôpoo-lution’ – encouraging positive behaviors where we can easily make a difference,“ Little said. ”TogetherGreen is helping to expand the outreach in our community exponentially.“

“The TogetherGreen Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to receive guidance and exchange expertise with conservation leaders from across the country as we work to positively impact our local communities for the future,“ Henry added.

Fellows participate in a weeklong kickoff training session at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s National Conservation Training Center. The training focuses on enhancing conservation skills and sharing the latest thinking on achieving sustainable conservation success. Near the completion of their fellowship, fellows return for a three-day follow up retreat focused on fundraising, diversity, evaluation and strategies to sustain their conservation action projects over the long term.

Fellows must have at least six years of experience in conservation, a passion for conservation, the desire to learn and grow, and demonstrate a proven ability to reach previously unengaged audiences.

A complete list of the 2009 TogetherGreen Fellows and,beginning in early 2010 an application form for the 2010 fellowships, can be found at the Web site.