Martha Lyle Ford Named West Tennessee Environmental Administrator of the Year

The Tennessee Environmental Education Association (TEEA) awarded Martha Lyle Ford, of Brownsville, with the West Tennessee Environmental Administrator of the Year award. The award was given at TEEA’s annual conference at Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson, Tennessee, on September 23^, 2006.

Ford joined the Tennessee Wildlife Federation earlier this year as the Program Director for their newly created Great Outdoors University. In its initial stages, the Great Outdoors University is targeting underprivileged kids in Memphis and Shelby County with the goal of connecting them to the “great outdoors.” This will be accomplished through education, day field trips, and overnight camping experiences. The program intends to not only expose youth to the outdoors, but to help develop a deeper understanding of and connection with the natural world.

Great Outdoors University was made possible through a generous contribution from the Memphis Daily News. The program is currently run through a partnership with the Boy Scouts in Shelby County, and a partnership with Girls, Inc. will begin in October of this year. To date, Great Outdoors University has involved approximately 300 children.

“The TEEA board was impressed by the work that Martha Lyle Ford has done to encourage environmental stewardship and education in West Tennessee and wanted to recognize her efforts through this award,” says Kim Bailey, TEEA Awards Chair.

The Tennessee Environmental Education Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting environmental education throughout Tennessee. TEEA assists in the development and coordination of environmental education programs and activities, and lends support to institutions, organizations and agencies in matters that pertain to environmental education.

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation, founded in 1946 as the Tennessee Conservation League, has a mission to champion the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education. For more information, go to www.tnwf.org.