SMITH NATURE SYMPOSIUM AWARDS CEREMONY
with Masters of Ceremonies: Bill Kurtis and Donna La Pietra
Environmental Leadership Award Recipients
PAUL NICKLEN AND CRISTINA MITTERMEIER
Join Brushwood Center as we celebrate the lifelong work and passion of Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, and honor their extraordinary leadership as photographers, marine biologists, and founders of SeaLegacy, and their work to protect the world’s oceans.
|
Paul Nicklen2022 Distinguished Environmental Leadership AwardeePaul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist who has documented the beauty and the plight of our planet for over twenty-five years. He was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2019 and, in that same year, was appointed to the Order of Canada. He has placed first in the World Press Photo’s Nature Stories category four times and was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2012. In the past two decades, Nicklen has collaborated with scientists, filmmakers, conservationists and explorers to create awareness and inspire action for global issues like climate change. He is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and has honorary degrees from both the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University.
|
|
Cristina Mittermeier2022 Distinguished Environmental Leadership AwardeeWorld-renowned conservationist and photographer Cristina “Mitty” Mittermeier believes that stunning visual storytelling is the key to unlocking critical action to help heal our ocean and save our planet. Beginning her career as a marine biologist in her native Mexico, Mitty soon discovered the power of imagery in ocean advocacy work. She went on to become an internationally recognized National Geographic photographer, public speaker, and founder of The International League of Conservation Photographers. She is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Smithsonian Conservation Photographer of the Year Award and the Imaging Award for Photographers Who Give Back. She was also named one of the 100 Latinos Most Committed to Climate Action.
|
“As a photographer and conservationist my work is about building a greater awareness of the responsibility of what it means to be a human. It is about understanding that the history of every living thing that has ever existed on this planet also lives within us. It is about the ethical imperative—the urgent reminder that we are inextricably linked to all other species on this planet and that we have a duty to act as the keepers of our fellow life forms.” – CRISTINA MITTERMEIER
Meet The Masters of Ceremonies
Donna LaPietra and Bill Kurtis
|
Donna La Pietra and Bill Kurtis will grace the stage as Masters of Ceremonies of the Smith Nature Symposium. Their contributions to news-broadcasting, documentary film production, and conservation have made them longtime legends in Chicagoland. After starting his career as a journalist, Bill became the news anchor for CBS at Chicago’s WBBM Channel 2, where he met Donna, who would become the channel’s Executive Producer. Bill is also the judge and voice of the popular news radio show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! Donna and Bill are known for their documentary film production company, Kurtis Productions, and for their devotion to supporting local non-profits. They are also committed to protecting the environment and increasing educational opportunities around nature. This passion is no better demonstrated than at their home on the North Shore, Mettawa Manor. Donna and Bill have created stunning gardens on the site, restored 25 acres of tall-grass prairie, and protected all but eight acres of the 65-acre property with conservation easements. They continue to host educational programs and scientific research at Mettawa, which is at once an ode to art and nature and a testament to their commitment to the natural world. Donna and Bill both serve on Brushwood Center’s Advisory Board.
|
About the Award
The Distinguished Environmental Leadership Award was first presented in 1984 to Roger Tory Peterson, the esteemed American naturalist, ornithologist, artist, and educator. Recent honorees include Winona LaDuke (2021), Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern (2020), Amory Lovins and Judy Hill Lovins (2019), and Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars Redford (2018).
What is the Smith Nature Symposium?
The Smith Nature Symposium memorializes the significant civic legacy of Hermon Dunlap and Ellen Thorne Smith, who donated their land and cabin to help form Ryerson Woods. Hermon, or Dutch, was chair and CEO of Marsh & McLennan, and led The Chicago Community Trust, Newberry Library, and many other Chicago Institutions. Ellen was a philanthropic leader and champion of nature with organizations such as The Field Museum and Chicago Zoological Society. She authored the book Chicagoland Birds: Where and When to Find Them.
Sponsors
A special thank you to all of our generous sponsors!
Ambassador
Amy and Rob Heinrich
Michael M. Levin and Family
Jean Meilinger and John Schneider
Adele Simmons
A. Gail and William Sturm
Friend
Andrea and Richard Amend
Henry and Lele Barkhausen
Bob and Winnie Crawford
Thomas Donnelley and Barbara C. Donnelley Family Fund of The Donnelley Foundation
Jackie Ramdin Johnson and Carl Johnson
Patricia and John Leonard
Suzanne Malec-McKenna and Joseph Ferguson
Lorra Rudman
Ellen Rudnick and Paul Earle
Clea Van Voorhis
In-Kind Sponsors
|
|
|
Special Thanks To
|
Emmett Williams |
|
|
