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Applications for the Craig Tufts Environmental Education Award were received by April 30 and the decision for this year's recipient has been made. Here's a note from Jean Tufts on May 17, 2010:

Hi everyone!

It was a difficult process, but the scholarship committee of 6 people was able to narrow down the field of 21 applicants for the Craig Tufts Scholarship Award to just two!

We really struggled with who, of the two, should be chosen so we decided to seeks additional opinions and thoughts about our top two favorites. We were finally able to pick the recipient of this year's award! And he has accepted! His name is Jonah and he's 11 years old. I think he's probably a lot like Craig was at age 11! I'll share an excerpt from his application essay, and I'll think you'll agree; there is definitely a budding naturalist in Jonah.

He writes:

"In Duluth, MN, even though it gets extremely cold, I spend a lot of time outdoors. I fish year-round, and that is one of my favorite activities. I also enjoy collecting insects and raising monarchs from the eggs on milkweed plants, catching snakes, swimming, bird-banding, looking for rocks, sea glass and fossils, spending time in the woods, and camping."

Wow! (0: Jonah plans to make a documentary about his Summit experience to share with people when he gets home. As it turns out, Jonah's entire family is going to attend the summit!

And, because our second choice applicant was also so impressive, the Summit staff decided to waive program fees for him in hopes that he would still consider attending. This little guy's name is Seth, he's 8 years old, and now he is also going to attend the summit with his entire family!Here is my favorite part of Seth's essay:

"My mom says I'm like Craig Tufts. I agree. I love nature also and I love every living thing and I also could probably name what it is, what species it is, and where it will probably lay its eggs. Once, I saw or heard fifty-eight lizards and I never got bored of seeing them."

I'm so delighted that through this effort, there will be two new Summit families this year! I'm sure they'll have a fantastic time and be well supported and embraced by the other Summit attendees!

Thanks again to all of you for your part in making this happen! I know Craig would be so pleased. This program was incredibly special to him!

We're already looking forward to being able to offer the same gift to another youngster next year!

All the best to you, Jean

Who was Craig Tufts?

Craig was everyone’s favorite naturalist. From the moment you met him, you liked what he was thinking and wanted to know more! He was excited about everything living and understood a tremendous amount about the natural world around him, no matter where he was. He could look at an insect under a log and tell you what its name was or what family it was in and what it was related to, what it probably ate for dinner and where it was going to lay its eggs…. It didn’t matter if you were near his home in Northern Virginia or on a mountainside in Colorado, somehow Craig knew and remembered all these details! Being with Craig on a walk was like having a talking field guide beside you, with the words just pouring out. Craig was always happy to point things out to anyone, and was just as excited to see something for the fiftieth time as he was to see it for the first time! Craig worked for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) for 33 years as Chief Naturalist.

What is the Craig Tufts Environmental Education Fund?

The Craig Tufts Environmental Education Fund is intended to continue Craig’s legacy and to replicate the spark that he provided for so many because of his extensive knowledge of and appreciation for the natural world. The Fund will finance an annual award that recognizes an individual between the ages of 8 and 18 who displays an interest in the natural world. The award aims to foster that interest and encourage a lifelong path of environmental study. It is our hope that the Fund would provide an opportunity for a young person to experience, in a personally meaningful way, NWF’s mission of inspiring individuals of all ages to care about and ultimately act to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat. 

How can I contribute to this fund?

If you wish to make a memorial contribution, please consider this fund as a way of carrying on Craig's legacy. Donations can be sent to:

National Wildlife Federation
Attn: Craig Tufts Volunteer Education Fund
11100 Wildlife Federation Drive
Reston, VA 20190