RES Celebrates the 2025 EcoGuardian Award Recipients

We’re thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2025 RES EcoGuardian Awards.

Now in its second year, the EcoGuardian Awards program was created in honor of Earth Day to celebrate our employees’ passion for environmental causes. The program recognizes the nonprofits our team members support through hands-on volunteer service and highlights the meaningful impact these organizations have on our land, water, wildlife, and communities through restoration, education, advocacy, and stewardship.

RES employees were invited to nominate the organizations where they volunteer their time and talents. The response was incredible. A total of 43 organizations were nominated, showcasing the strong commitment across our team to environmental and community causes.

Award recipients were selected regionally, each receiving a grant to support their mission. From that group, RES leadership selected both Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Restore or Retreat to receive an additional donation in recognition of their outstanding work.

In total, RES awarded $51,000 to these inspiring organizations. Each one truly exemplifies what it means to be an EcoGuardian.

Leadership Award Recipient: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers | www.backcountryhunters.org
Nominated by: Nicolas Zanotti, Land Representative

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) works to safeguard North America’s public lands, waters, and wildlife through hands-on projects and advocacy. Nicolas Zanotti, a dedicated board member, has led major initiatives like the Hallelujah Junction Wildlife Area Post-Fire Rehabilitation Project, restoring winter range habitat for mule deer and pronghorn while honoring Indigenous land stewardship. “It’s important for me to perform these projects with my family, so that my daughter can build a knowledge of the concept of the honorable harvest. That as hunters, anglers, and gatherers, it is our responsibility to ensure the longevity of the resources that we use and the environment that provides our home,” says Nicolas.

Leadership Award Recipient: Restore or Retreat, Inc. | www.restoreorretreat.org
Nominated by: Aaron Pierce, Nursery Manager II

Restore or Retreat has planted over 30,000 native plants in Louisiana’s coastal wetlands in just the past three years, thanks to the organization’s hands-on approach to vegetative plantings in the Barataria/Terrebonne basins. Aaron Pierce’s deep history with the organization and its staff underscores a shared mission to protect coastal heritage and engage volunteers. “The organization is celebrating 25 years of coastal advocacy this year, and they have a proven record of successful implementation of both policy and restoration efforts for our coast,” says Aaron. RoR’s leaders, Dr. Joe Orgeron and Polly Glover, “are both EcoGuardians with their shared and mutual desire to see the wetlands of Coastal Louisiana preserved for future generations.”

Walker Basin Conservancy | www.walkerbasin.org
Nominated by: Terence Ruane, Federal Capture Manager

In the parched basins of western Nevada, Walker Basin Conservancy is reviving an ecosystem from the soil up. This group not only restores riparian and wetland habitats but also does so by hiring local crews, innovating seed collection, and revitalizing the once-depleted Walker Lake. Terence Ruane volunteers with WBC for its practical, community-based conservation model: “They’re tackling conservation in a way that benefits both the environment and the people who depend on it, and that’s exactly the kind of work I like to support.”

Working Food | www.workingfood.org
Nominated by: Larsen McBride, Scientist III

Working Food in Gainesville, FL, is redefining food sovereignty through education, seed stewardship, and youth empowerment. From distributing over 4,200 heirloom seed packets to running afterschool garden programs and supporting food entrepreneurs, this nonprofit connects ecological conservation with social equity. “I was first introduced to Working Food when I moved back to Gainesville after living in New York City for three years. Not only was I excited to be living in North-Central Florida again, but it was also the height of the Covid-19 pandemic,” recalls Larsen. “While RES’ focus is centered on ecological practices, what Working Food does is an astounding marriage of ecological and agricultural organization and action. This is especially important in a place like Florida, where so much of our statewide ecological corridors depend on the participation and stewardship of farmers and farmland. Working Food ensures that sustainable, nutritious, and resilient local varieties of food are not just available to everyone, but that the people who have historically maintained those varieties are supported in doing so.”

Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals (VAWP) | www.vawetlands.org
Nominated by: Robin Bedenbaugh, Manager, Science – Wetland Mitigation SME

Through certifications, workshops, student scholarships, and collaborative forums, VAMP advances sound wetland management across the Commonwealth. Their collaborative and educational approach allows for deep participation from volunteers like Robin Bedenbaugh, who has worked over the last 30 years to help build VAWP into a cornerstone of Virginia’s wetland community. “I am passionate about helping other professionals in the wetland field to become better at what they do and to encourage environmentally responsible development that ensures the long-term conservation and management of our natural resources, particularly our wetland resources. The VAWP has allowed me to fulfill those passions through volunteering over the past 30 years,” says Robin.

Shirley Heinze Land Trust | www.heinzetrust.org
Nominated by: Michael Szuter, Ecologist III

In northwestern Indiana, Shirley Heinze Land Trust protects rare habitats while building community connection through stewardship. Monthly volunteer Michael Szuter emphasizes the group’s long-term vision: “I’m excited to volunteer for Shirley Heinze because of their commitment to preserving and restoring natural areas in an important region for rare native plants and wildlife (including Audubon designated state and globally important bird areas). They incorporate community engagement as a core part of their work and have the means and dedication to long-term stewardship of lands in their care.”

Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Association | www.bscwatershed.org
Nominated by: Ryan Kenner, Ecologist

This grassroots group in Pennsylvania is blending science, advocacy, and community action to safeguard its local watershed. With weekly data collection on flow and macroinvertebrates, they’re protecting habitats for fish and birds and ensuring the waterway is safe for the community to enjoy. Ryan shared, “I have been so excited to take my experience that I have gained working for RES and apply it to a group that is working towards making a difference in the small watershed that I live in. I am hopeful that the efforts that we are putting into collecting data on macroinvertebrates, flow, turbidity, and species will lead to an enriched environment that my family will be able to safely enjoy for years to come. The work we are putting into the watershed will hopefully protect the threatened fish species, the southern redbelly dace, and a large Great Blue Heron rookery which is found within the watershed.”

Clean Jordan Lake | www.cleanjordanlake.org
Nominated by: Timothy Swartzfager, Designer

Since 2009, Clean Jordan Lake has rallied thousands of volunteers to remove over 224 tons of trash from the lake’s shoreline. What began as one man’s passion project has become a model for environmental action. “RES has partnered with Clean Jordan Lake to adopt a section of shoreline at Jordan Lake, as it aligns with our mission to protect and restore our natural ecological communities,” Timothy shares.

A heartfelt thank you to our employees for their dedication to volunteerism and to each of the incredible EcoGuardian Award recipients. Your passion, partnership, and purpose-driven work are helping to protect and restore the natural world we all depend on. This program reflects what Earth Day is all about. Taking action, building community, and creating lasting impact. Together, we celebrate these EcoGuardians who are making a difference not just on Earth Day, but every day of the year.