The Bob Brown Foundation is proud to award Environmentalist and Young Environmentalist of the Year to two remarkable Queenslanders for their exceptional achievements in environmental protection.
‘I congratulate Drew Hutton and Isaac Astill on driving formidable progress in environmental achievement and for inspiring all those around them’, said former Greens leader Bob Brown.
‘And congratulations to Charlie Wood, winner of the Deni Greene Award, established to recognise the many contributions the late Deni Greene made to sustainability through this annual award named in her honour.’
‘These are heroes who too often go unrecognised – these awards are a way to thank and celebrate people whose remarkable dedication to the protection of our environment stand out.’
The 2013 award recipients to be announced are:
Environmentalist of the Year – Drew Hutton (Brisbane, QLD)
Drew Hutton is a veteran social movement campaigner and a leader of the Lock the Gate campaign against coal and coal seam gas mining in rural and regional Australia. In 2011, Mr Hutton, an author and former University lecturer, was found guilty in the Dalby Magistrates Court of ‘obstructing a coal seam gas company without reasonable excuse’ under s804 of the Petroleum and Gas Act. Since then, he has continued to unite farmers and environmentalists in opposition to coal and coal seam gas mining.
Young Environmentalist of the Year – Isaac Astill (Yeppoon, QLD)
20-year old Mr Astill moved from his home state of South Australia to the regional Queensland town of Yeppoon to become a community organiser for the Protect Keppel Bay campaign. He is working with the local community to stop coal and gas port proposals inside the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Mr Astill has been an active volunteer with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, including helping organise a 5-month climate science and solutions tour of regional Australia.
Deni Greene Award – Charlotte (Charlie) Wood (Melbourne, VIC)
Over the past 7 years Charlie has volunteered, worked and interned with Amnesty International, Conservation Volunteers Australia, the Centre for Sustainability Leadership, the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, the ANU’s Regulatory Institutions Network and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Charlie now works with the Asset Owner’s Disclosure Project, coordinating their Vital Few campaign to get super funds to move their money out of fossil fuels and into clean energy. She is also Campaigns Director with 350 Australia, where she heads up their National Fossil Fuel Divestment campaign “Go Fossil Free Australia.”
The Bob Brown Foundation awards are funded by small-dollar donations from community members. The Environmentalist of the Year will receive $4000, the Young Environmentalist of the Year $2000 and the Deni Greene award recipient $2000.
In addition, Tasmanian company Franklin River Rafting has donated a place on one of their professionally guided Franklin River expeditions to Environmentalist of the Year, Drew Hutton.
‘Unlike so many other awards, the Foundation’s Environmentalist of the Year awards rely on the community, and not the big end of town for support’, Bob Brown said.
Miranda Gibson, one of last year’s winners, will be presented with her special Award for Environmental Courage. Ms Gibson was not able to receive her award in person last year because she was living sixty metres above ground in a tree-sit drawing international attention to the logging of Tasmania’s forests.
The recipients received their awards in person at a ceremony at 11am today at the Bahai Centre for Learning in Hobart.
