Miriam Beck was a teacher, naturalist and journalist from whom Highlands County Audubon inherited her home located in Lake Placid. The home was sold several years ago, funds invested, and the Board of Directors established an annual award for teachers in her memory utilizing some of the proceeds.

The first recipient of the Annual Miriam Beck Environmental Education Memorial Scholarship Award, was Marilyn Blair, a teacher at Fred Wild Elementary School, who attended National Audubon Society's Ecology Workshop in Connecticut, designed especially for teachers. Kathy Robinson, third grade teacher at Lake Country Elementary, Rick Lavoy, now K-12 Education Coordinator at Archbold Biological Station, and Katherine Leftwich, an eighth grade teacher at Lake Placid Middle School, attended the Audubon Ecology Camp in Minnesota given for teachers. Susan Harris at Hill-Gustat Middle School, Gitona Rogers at Lake Country and Sharla Elliott of LPHS have attended the Hog Island Camp in Maine. All have reported very valuable experiences in environmental education at these special camps which they have been able to utilize in their classrooms.

The Awards Committee selected another teacher whom they felt exhibited enthusiasm and interest in learning about the natural world, and inspires students to learn more about their environment. We are proud to announce the recipient of the Annual Scholarship is Sheryl Vretta, a 4th Grade teacher at Woodlawn and an Audubon Adventure kit recipient. Sheryl is thrilled and excited to be able to take part in a fabulous opportunity to learn more about environmental education on Hog Island in Maine.

In 2008 Chris Stephan, a science teacher at Avon Park Middle School was given the award and attended the Hog Island Camp. Pictures he brought back as well as a re-print form the Highlands Today Newspaper about his experience may be seen HERE.