The Buffalo Audubon Society has presented its 2017 Henry J. Kord Conservation Award to New York Sea Grant Coastal Education Specialist Helen M. Domske. The award is given only to those who make a very significant contribution to the conservation of Western New York natural resources, according to the announcement by the Buffalo Audubon Society.
"I am humbled and surprised by the award," Domske said. "It is always a pleasure to have respected counterparts recognize the work I have been involved with."
Domske has devoted her professional life to ensuring the present and next generations of Great Lakes citizens are well-prepared to make sound decisions contributing to the health of New York's environment. Through teach-the-teacher professional development training and school presentations, Domske impacts hundreds of teachers and, by extension, thousands of students each year.
The annual Science Exploration Day at the University at Buffalo, where Domske is associate director of the Great Lakes Program, draws more than 1,200 students to learn about science and research.
In 2017, Domske has led development of the NY Great Lakes Ecosystem Education Exchange (
www.nyseagrant.org/educationexchange), with teaching materials to empower K-12 educators with Great Lakes watershed-related curricula for classrooms and field experiences.
Domske has helped angling enthusiasts better understand the science of Lake Erie fisheries and its ecosystem through an annual, well-attended April State of Lake Erie meeting organized in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for the past 24 years.
She has published resources to encourage public participation in reducing pharmaceutical, chemical and plastics contamination of New York waters, and is currently working on a Great Lakes restoration initiative project focused on aquatic invasive species education through the national habitattitude program. The program encourages responsible consumer behavior to prevent the release of aquarium and water garden fish and plant life into the natural aquatic environment.
New York Sea Grant, a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 33 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Sea Grant College Program. Since 1971, New York Sea Grant has been integrating research, education and extension services to promote coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the state's marine and Great Lakes resources.
New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices at SUNY Buffalo, Wayne County Cooperative Extension in Newark, and at SUNY Oswego; in the state's marine district, at Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Manhattan; and in the Hudson Valley through Cooperative Extension in Kingston and at Brooklyn College. Learn more at
www.nyseagrant.org.
