1989 – Frederick V. Mecklenburg, for environmental leadership through the founding of the Otsego County Conservation Association. 

1990 – Ellen Luchsinger, in recognition of her many efforts for the enhancement of conservation in our region and for outstanding contributions to OCCA.  

1991 – Martha Clarvoe, president of the Cooperstown League of Women Voters for her vigorous and untiring efforts in expanding recycling opportunities in Otsego County.  As a result of her initiative, previously discarded slicks, inserts and envelopes are now accepted by MOSA for recycling. 

1992 – Irene Mozolewski, for her unflagging interest in environmental issues.  Vigilantly ensured that protecting our natural resources was considered in land-use planning and tourism promotion.   

1993 – Rufus Thayer, for a lifetime of activities which have directly followed the tenets of the OCCA mission statement.  Funded undergraduate student stipends; promoted environmental education as an active voice of concern on the lake.  Committed 100 acres of hillside near lake to National Wildlife Federation and set aside 302 acres of land atop Rum Hill as land that can never be developed.  Simple lifestyle exemplifying low impactland stewardship. 

1994 – Giles Russell, for his work with the Village of Cooperstown Advanced Planning Committee, particularly, and his concern regarding uncontrolled development. 

1995 – William Gengenbach, for 25 years of work dedicated to conservation and education; preservation of farmland through preservation of farming itself; promotion of greenbelts and preservation of rural character; promotion of best management practices  (crop and pasture rotation, intensive grass management to prevent erosion and proper fencing); established Master Gardeners program to train volunteers to answer questions on gardening.  

1996 – Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, who almost single-handedly turned the tide of anti-environmental legislation sweeping through the House of Representatives.  This tide would have swept with it 25 years of environmental protection.  Rep. Boehlert managed to convince his colleagues the American people wanted these protections after all. 

1997 – Bonnie Canning Hofmann, for her tireless and selfless work to make OCCA a viable, county-wide environmental organization with a broad mission and definite goals.   

1998 – Otsego Lake Watershed Council, for drafting of Plan for the Management of the Otsego Lake Watershed. 

1999 – Earle Peterson , president of the Otsego Land Trust, for donating nearly 1,200 acres of land in the Town of Burlington – Greenwoods Conservancy – now permanently protected from development and serving as an educational, visual, and environmental resource. 

2000 – Moira Goldfarb and Thomas Gergel, co-chairs of Oneonta-Susquehanna Greenway Steering Committee.  Under their leadership, a dream a quarter century in the making got underway. 

2001 – John Davis, for his lifelong interest in the natural world, especially that of birds; his involvement in the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society and his activism in a number of local environmental and municipal planning issues since his 1995 retirement from his position as a physician at Basset Hospital. 

2002 – Otsego County Burn Barrel Education Committee (Mary Ashwood, Chair; Kathy Abernathy, Gayle Austin, Arthur Clarke, Martha Clarvoe, MaryLou Ganio, John May, Ferd Thering, Dick Thompson), for education and legislative advocacy efforts regarding the health risks of outdoor burning. 

2003 – Harry Levine, for leadership in citizen involvement regarding land-use planning. 

2004 – Nina Hart, Joe Hart, William Brosseau, for two years’ effort compiling “Otsego Walks & Paddles,”  an area trails guide for low-impact use.  

2005 – Patricia Riddell Kent and Steven Kent, for the donation of 1,036 acres, now designated as The Robert V. Riddell State Park. 

2006 – Ted Peters, for 30 years of water quality stewardship applied in the Otsego Lake watershed. 

2007 – Edward Lentz,  for his actions both local and regional regarding global warming; founding of Sustainable Working Group to raise public awareness about global warming and encourage sustainable lifestyles. 

2008 – Henry Kernan, for a lifetime devoted to forestry stewardship, advocacy and education. 

2009 – Jean and Robert Miller, co-recipients, for lifetime achievement.  Bob and wife, Jean, were already long-time naturalists when they helped found Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society more than 30 years ago, after which they continued to support DOAS through their hard work, enthusiasm, and knowledge. 

2010 - James Herman, for his role in educating municipal officials and the community at large on the possible environmental risks of current high impact environmental threats. 

2011 - Al Sosa, for his dedication to bicycle and pedestrian trail building and maintenance, as well as his leadership role in the fostering of natural resource appreciation and stewardship. 

2012 - Lou Allstadt and Ron Bishop, co-recipients, for their diligence in providing industry- and science-based information to the public on the possible environmental impacts of high-volume horizontal hydrofracturing for natural gas. 

2013 - Dave Hutchison and Rich McCaffery, co-recipients, for their dedication and behind-the-scenes contributions toward the protection, preservation, and improvement of the environment through community service. 

2014 - Canadarago Lake Improvement Association Inc., for outstanding leadership, teamwork, and dedication, and its proactive approach to the protection and preservation of Canadarago Lake’s freshwater heritage for future generations. 

2015 - Martha Clarvoe and Ben Guenther, 5-Star Subaru, to celebrate Martha Clarvoe’s 15 years with the organization and to recognize Ben Guenther for his contributions to OCCA and the community.

“Ben Guenther, co-owner of Five Star Subaru, is being honored tonight as a community partner and for his work with OCCA to promote environmental events and initiatives. Martha connected Ben with the organization five years ago, when he helped publicize Earth Festival in our first television commercial. This past April, as Earth Festival celebrated its tenth anniversary, attendance figures were unprecedented, estimated at 1,000+. Increased participation has been an Earth Festival trend since Ben and Five StarSubaru first committed to the cause. 

Ben has also worked with us to promote Bike to Work Day, OCCA’s Oktoberfest and the Otsego Lakes Festival, as well as burn barrel education. This year, with daughter Jessica, Ben assisted OCCA in the development of public service announcements to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. We are not alone in our appreciation of Ben’s efforts. Ben and Five Star Subaru have helped countless organizations – Susquehanna Animal Shelter, The Arc Otsego, and Springbrook, to name just a few.”


Martha has been a fixture in Otsego County’s environmental community since the 1980s and was an OCCA Board member for 15 years. In addition to serving as Board President from 2008-2011, Martha was also OCCA’s Special Projects Manager for many years – a full-time role she filled on an entirely volunteer basis from which she has recently retired. Martha has been a fixture in Otsego County’s environmental community since the 1980s and was an OCCA Board member for 15 years. In addition to serving as Board President from 2008-2011, Martha was also OCCA’s Special Projects Manager for many years – a full-time role she filled on an entirely volunteer basis from which she has recently retired. 

An account of Martha’s work on behalf of the environment and OCCA would fill volumes.

2016 – Tom Salo was recognized for his dedication to bird conservation and particularly his work with the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society on reducing accidental lead poisoning of bald eagles. 

2017 – Bob Sutherland was recognized for his work spearheading the Clark Foundation’s sustainability efforts. He established a composting operation that has recycled over a million pounds of food scraps and green waste since 2010, manages invasive species, and uses the farm’s greenhouse to support community agriculture.

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023 — Kim Burkhart

2024

2025 — Holly Waterfield and Matt Albright

Junior Conservationist of the year: Elias MacLeish