Tennessee Wildlife Federation, one of the largest and oldest nonprofits dedicated to the conservation of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources, recognizes 16 recipients from all corners of the state for its 55th Annual Conservation Achievement Awards.
To ensure the health and safety of this year’s winners, the Federation did not host an in-person award ceremony.
“We are honored to recognize this outstanding pool of recipients this year,” said Kendall McCarter, chief development officer for the Federation. “Their dedication to conserve our wild places and recruit the next generations of conservationists should be an inspiration to Tennesseans who love and enjoy the great outdoors.”
Awards spanned from Conservation by Business and Conservation Educator, to Forest Conservationist and the Z. Cartter Patten Award for many years of service to the cause of conservation in Tennessee.
The honorees of the 55th Annual Conservation Achievement Awards are as follows.
Gedeon D. Petit Memorial Award
Marty Griffith of Crossville, Tn. with work spanning Marion County
Mr. Griffith serves as a wildlife officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). Mr. Griffith is dedicated to recruiting new sportsmen and women and keeping those who enjoy the outdoors safe. When a youth boater was stranded on rough waters, Mr. Griffith and a colleague quickly responded, successfully rescuing the boater. Mr. Griffith takes advantage of every opportunity to engage the public on the agency’s work and conservation initiatives. He is especially passionate about mentoring youth through education and outreach. He also seeks out additional funding and grants to enhance the quality of youth events. In his personal time, he hand builds and installs fishing line receptacles where anglers can dispose of their waste line, which would otherwise pose a deadly hazard to fish and wildlife.
Youth Conservationist of the Year
Cash Daniels of Chattanooga
For the first time in the 55 years of the Conservation Achievement Awards, an award was given to the same recipient two years in a row. Only 10 years old, Cash is dedicated to saving Tennessee’s rivers and diverse aquatic species from trash and pollution. Commonly known as “The Conservation Kid,” Cash leads monthly river cleanups and speaks with local businesses, lawmakers and agencies to advocate for clean water policies. He is also a published author of a children's book educating kids on how they can make a difference for waterways. In the past year, Cash has removed more than 5,000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee River.
Z.Cartter Patten Award
Ed Carter of Brentwood, Tn. with work spanning nationwide
Mr. Carter retired in May from his position as executive director of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). Throughout his career, he was a positive force in managing and conserving Tennessee’s fish, wildlife and public use of natural resources. He became TWRA’s first chief of the boating division when it was formed in 1990 and built it into a national award winning and recognized program. When he became executive director of the agency in 2009, he guided several critical reorganization efforts, including merging the boating and law enforcement divisions, reorganizing the agency’s regional management system, and realigning the agency’s information and education division into a newly established outreach and communication division.
Beyond his work at TWRA, Mr. Carter was known for his national leadership in the boating program community and the significant role he played within the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). His career has been marked by outstanding accomplishments and he has achieved many honors for his effective and valuable service to conserve Tennessee’s wild places.
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Z. Cartter Patten Award — Ed Carter of Brentwood, Tn.
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J. Clark Akers, III Champion of Conservation Award — The Austin Memorial Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio.
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Conservation Legislator of the Year — Senator Ken Yager of Kingston, Tn.
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Wildlife Conservationist of the Year — The Nature Conservancy of Brentwood, Tn.
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Land Conservationist of the Year — Bucky Edmondson of Gray, Tn.
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Water Conservationists of the Year — David Blackwood of Humboldt, Tn.
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Forest Conservationist of the Year — Joe McGuiness of Unicoi, Tn.
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Conservation Organization of the Year — West TN Regional Recycling Hub of Henderson, Tn.
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Conservation by Business — Patagonia of Nashville, Tn.
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Conservation Educator of the Year — Robert Brewer of Knoxville, Tn.
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Conservation Communicator of the Year — Bill Dance of Collierville, Tn.
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Youth Conservationist of the Year — Cash Daniels of Chattanooga, Tn.
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On Target Award — Jerry Strom of McKenzie, Tn.
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Dan & Cherie Hammond Sharing the Harvest Award — Chad and SaDonna Cardwell of Medon, Tn.
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Gedeon D. Petit Memorial Award — Marty Griffith of Crossville, Tn.
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Hunter Education Instructor of the Year — Andrew Tweed of Memphis, Tn.