The 2017 Michigan Environmental Hall of Fame announced its inductees for this year’s award ceremony.
Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice will be awarded as top non-profit organization. The Youth Award will go to Anita Steward and her kids at Freeman Elementary for their work in the Flint water crisis. The Legacy Circle inductee is Marcus Schaaf, who was Michigan’s longest-serving state forester. Under his leadership, the State’s forest system grew from 35,000 acres to more than 3.6 million acres.
Pete Petoskey, Jack Bails and Tanya Cabala will be honored with the individuals awards. Pete Petoskey will be honored for his devotion to conservation, through his tenure as Wildlife Chief in the Michigan DNR. Jack Bails served 28 years with the Michigan DNR and eight years a deputy director. Tanya Cabala has worked tirelessly to clean up White Lake and West Michigan waters. Because of her efforts, White Lake was delisted as an Area of Concern last year.
This will be the sixth year of the Michigan Environmental Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by the Muskegon Research and Education Society (MERES). For more information, visit muskegonlakenaturepreserve.org.
