Cahaba River Society honors clean water champions

“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.” ~ Wendell Berry

Last Thursday, the Cahaba River Society (CRS) honored several local Birmingham businesses, organizations, educators and advocates at their annual meeting, which was held in Woodlawn.

This year’s CRS annual meeting theme was Cahaba Communities Coming Together.  And come together they did.

At the meeting, there was a “full house” with every seat taken, and a list of attendees and honorees that read like the “who’s who” of clean water/river protection champions in the state of Alabama.

Over the years, the Cahaba River Society’s annual awards program has become one of the most prestigious conservation honors in the region.

Here is the impressive list of the 2017 honorees.

Lifetime Achievement Award – James Lowery

Cahaba Vision Award – Natalie Kelly

Outstanding River Advocate – Alabama Rivers Alliance

Educator of the Year – Shades Mountain Elementary’s Carla Marchant, Mandy Cramer, Deanna Straub

Corporate Friend of the Year – Amerex, Inc.

Watershed Conservation Development Award – Crowne at Cahaba River

Cahaba Conservationist of the Year – Cahaba Riverkeeper, David Butler and Myra Crawford

Volunteer of the Year – Hans Paul

Community Partner of the Year – America’s First Federal Credit Union

Public Service Award – Irondale on the Move Advisory Committee, City of Irondale, Greater Irondale Chamber of Commerce, Irondale Commercial Development Authority, Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham