Conservation scholarships awarded to local environmental students
Two area students each received $3,750 in scholarships awarded by the Paul D. Pierotti Memorial Scholarship Fund of the DuPage Foundation.
The students were recognized at The Conservation Foundation spring membership and awards luncheon on June 2 at Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton. Applicants must have an interest in working in the environmental field and be associated with The Conservation Foundation.
The scholarships are awarded to students from DuPage, Kane, Kendall, or Will counties, the foundation's service area.
The 2016 scholarship recipients are:
• Margaret Schaub, 18, of Downers Grove is a graduate of Downers Grove North High School. She plans to attend Colorado State University to study biology and ecosystem science and sustainability. Schaub has been a volunteer with The Conservation Foundation involved in local river cleanups and the storm drain stenciling program.
• Blake Nelson, 23, of Naperville is a graduate of Neuqua Valley High School. He hopes to study rangeland ecology and watershed management at the University of Wyoming, with a minor in wildlife fisheries biology and management. Nelson attended College of DuPage and has worked as a volunteer and seasonal animal keeper at Willowbrook Wildlife Center. He also has been active with the DuPage River Sweep and cleaning up the East Branch and DuPage River.
Former Forest Preserve District of DuPage County President D. "Dewey" Pierotti, Jr. and his wife Leslie established the scholarships at the DuPage Foundation in 2006 in memory of their late son Paul. Since that time, scholarships totaling more than $70,000 have been awarded to area students. The Conservation Foundation, headquartered in Naperville, is one of the region's oldest and largest nonprofit land and watershed conservation organizations. Since it was founded in 1972, the foundation has helped preserve nearly 33,000 acres of open space, restored and cleaned miles of rivers and streams, and educated thousands of kids by engaging them in nature and the outdoors. Work is focused in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will counties to preserve and restore nature in your neighborhood. Find out more at theconservationfoundation.org.
The DuPage Foundation seeks to raise the quality of life throughout DuPage County by fostering philanthropy, connecting donors to area needs, and building community partnerships. Based on the American virtues of volunteerism and philanthropy, the Foundation fosters a legacy of support for the people of DuPage County by making grants to nonprofit organizations working in the areas of arts and culture, education, the environment, health, and human services. For information, visit dupagefoundation.org.