Awards

During the Forum’s quadrennial Symposia, the Forum presents awards to acknowledge exceptional community members and projects that have helped improve, restore, or protect Contra Costa’s watersheds. Nominations are submitted to Forum staff, and decisions are made by either the Forum’s Planning Committee (formerly, Executive Committee) or an Awards Subcommittee of the Symposium Planning Committee.

Watershed Champion Award

This award honors a person who worked to build partnerships and provide leadership in protecting, restoring, or enhancing creeks and watersheds. This person has inspired others to work collaboratively toward addressing conservation issues in Contra Costa County.      

  • Dick Heron, Friends of San Ramon Creek (2023)

  • Symposium Leadership Team (2019)

  • Contra Costa Fish & Wildlife Committee, Department of Conservation & Development (2019)

  • Contra Costa County Flood Control & Water Conservation District (2019)

  • Diane Burgis (2010/2011)

  • Mitch Avalon (2006/2007)

  • Whitney Dotson (2005)

  • Rona Zollinger (2005)

Outstanding Contra Costa Watershed Project Award

This award recognizes a project that restored, protected, and/or enhanced a creek or watershed resource in Contra Costa County. If this project is a multi-year project, the bulk of the work needs to be completed in the year of the Symposium. It does not matter whether a creek project is funded through grants, private funds, or government funds so long as it has made a significant improvement in the quality of a watershed/creek in the County in the year of the Symposium.

  • North Richmond Watershed Connections Project (2023)

  • Pinole Creek Fish Passage, Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (2019)

  • Moorhen Marsh Restoration Project, Mt. View Sanitary District (2019)

  • Dotson Family Marsh, East Bay Regional Park District (2019)

  • Restoration: Pinole Creek Demonstration Project (2010/2011)

  • Restoration: Wildcat Creek Restoration at Rumrill Rd (2006/2007)

  • Education: Watershed Action Program (2006/2007)

  • Outreach: Mount Diablo Creek Watershed Management Plan (2006/2007)

  • Baxter Creek Gateway Project in El Cerrito (2005)

  • Rossmoor Detention Basin Expansion (2005)

Outstanding Contra Costa Watershed Volunteer Award

This award recognizes a person or group of persons that has been exemplary and stands out among the rest. This award promotes volunteerism and the important part volunteers play in promoting watershed issues.

  • Jane Moore (2023)

  • Mike Anciaux, Friends of San Ramon Creek (2019)

  • Martha Berthelsen, The Watershed Project (2019)

  • Doug Burgess, Alhambra Creek Watershed Council (2019)

  • Heather Rosmarin, Friends of Pleasant Hill Creeks (2019)


Emerging Leader Award

This award recognizes a person who shows great potential within the environmental field. They have utilized critical thinking and collaboration in their work thus far and recognize the intersecting challenges and possibilities that the future of environmental work holds.

  • Fareed Nabkel, Friends of Concord Creeks (2023)

Watershed Leadership Award

  • Josh Bradt, SF Estuary Partnership (2019)

  • Whitney Dodson, East Bay Regional Park District (2019)

  • Helen Fitanides, The Watershed Project (2019)

  • Juliana Gonzalez, The Watershed Project (2019)

  • Heidi Petty, Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (2019)

Creek Monitoring Program Volunteer of the Year

This person has been an exemplary participant in the CCWF’s Creek Monitoring Program. The person gathered quality creek data and/or spent many volunteer hours working on the Creek Monitoring Program. When the Forum’s Creek Program was active, the Contra Costa Watershed Forum Executive Committee could select up to three awardees for this category—one person from West, Central, and East Contra Costa County.

2010/2011:

  • Brian Curran – East County

  • Brad Heckman – Central County

  • Kevin Sherrill – West County

2006/2007:

  • Brian Curran – East County

  • Igor and Shirley Skaredoff – Central County

  • Lawrie McDonnell – West County

2005:

  • Mitch Schweickert – East County

  • Lisa Anich – Central County

  • Bill Voigt – West County

Watershed Forum Participant/Partner of the Year

This award honors a participant in the Contra Costa Watershed Forum who has been active in their watershed as well as in Watershed Forum activities. This person has helped advance Forum goals by participating in Forum meetings, building partnerships, providing technical support, participating in subcommittees, spearheading a Forum project and/or inspiring others to be involved in creek and watershed activities.

  • Lynne Scarpa, City of Richmond (2006/2007)

  • Contra Costa Resource Conservation District and the Creek Signage Committee: Carol Arnold (CCRCD), Junko Bryant (CCRCD), Mary Grim (CCRCD), Leslie Engler (Mt. View Sanitary District), and Nancy Stein (Contra Costa County Watershed Program) (2005)

Other Awards

Neighborhood Coordinator:

  • Jamie Menasco (2005)

Congratulations to all awardees!