Ann Guenther will receive Mohonk Consultations’ 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award on Monday, June 8 from 5 to 8 p.m., in the parlor at Mohonk Mountain House. A naturalist and an environmental educator for over 20 years and now a climate-change activist, Guenther explains her journey: “I’ve been a nature lover all my life. Growing up half a block from Lake Michigan, I roamed the beaches and parks collecting various leaves, shells, worms and caterpillars.”
Guenther began her work as an information specialist at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. “It was when those first pictures of the Earth from space were coming in that I began to share with people how beautiful and unique this planet is.” After moving to the Hudson Valley with her husband, Dan, she worked as a classroom teacher and environmental educator. In 2007, the New York State Outdoor Education Association presented her with its Outdoor Educator Award for “using the outdoors to enrich curriculum and interpret the natural world in a way that has expanded the environmental appreciation of children or adults.”
Guenther is a co-founder of the New Paltz Climate Action Coalition: “The group coalesced around the idea that because we love this planet and its people,” she emphasized, “we need to do something about climate change — not just watch” (https://www.newpaltzclimateaction.org).
Advance registration is required by June 6. Tickets are $35 per person, which includes the ceremony and a reception featuring light fare. You may register by sending a check made out to “Mohonk Consultations,” at 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY 12561; please note “2015 Awards” in the check memo section. Or register online using a credit card at https://mohonk-consultations.org/2015-distinguished-achievement-award-ann-guenther/.
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