River Hero Michael Shelton Wins Award at Alabama Watershed Leadership Conference

River Hero Michael Shelton Wins Award at Alabama Watershed Leadership Conference

Montgomery – Michael Shelton with the Weeks Bay Reserve received the 2010 River Hero Award at the Alabama Rivers Alliance's Watershed Leadership Conference last month.

On February 28th, Michael Shelton with the Weeks Bay Reserve received the 2010 River Hero Award at the Alabama Rivers Alliance's Watershed Leadership Conference in Montgomery, AL.  Annually, the Rivers Alliance honors and celebrates the outstanding work of 3 people who are passionate about their work to protect our rivers, our health, and our environment.  This award is given to individuals in Alabama who exemplify river stewardship and have a rich history of advocating protection of Alabama’s rivers or their local waterway. 

Michael is the chair of the steering committee for the Baldwin County Water Festival.  They had over 1,000 fourth graders attend this year’s event.  He is also the watershed coordinator for the Weeks Bay Reserve and is an Alabama Water Watch Trainer.    

“I do not know what the residents of Baldwin County would do without Mike Shelton’s dedication.”  - Walter Ernest, Executive Director, Weeks Bay Reserve Foundation

The Alabama Rivers Alliance is pleased to honor Mike with this award for his tireless work, protecting Alabama’s environment. 

The Watershed Leadership Conference is for anyone seeking to learn about clean water, environmental science, legislative policy, and leadership. Each year the conference brings over 100 individual attendees from a variety of backgrounds and over 25 various grassroots and conservation organizations together to share, network, and learn.  At the Conference, participants receive professional development training from experts as well as their own peers on the newest ideas and innovations in their fields.

The Alabama Rivers Alliance annually hosts the Watershed Leadership Conference, a premier educational and networking event for Alabamians interested in clean water.  The conference moves to different regions of the state each year, and since 2010 is an election year, the 2010 Watershed Leadership Conference was held in the state's capitol of Montgomery from February 27-March 2, 2010.

--Photo credit:  John Wathen, Hurricane Creekkeeper