Submitted by Hannah Huddleston
(August 27, 2025) — The Rockfall Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2025 Environmental Champion Awards, which will be presented during Rockfall’s 90th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown.
The evening will feature a keynote address by Christine Palm on the theme of engaging youth in climate action and advocacy. Palm will also receive Rockfall’s President’s Award, presented once every ten years, recognizing her decades of leadership in environmental policy and education.
The awards honor individuals and organizations whose work has significantly advanced
environmental preservation, conservation, and education in the Lower Connecticut River
Valley.
2025 Award Recipients
President’s Award: Christine Palm, former Connecticut State Representative and climate
education advocate, recognized for her work with youth activists and leadership in
environmental policy.
Tom Odell Distinguished Service Award: Bruce Dodson, Killingworth Land Conservation
Trust leader who helped protect more than 1,100 acres of open space; and Chet Arnold, Essex Land Trust leader and co-founder of UConn’s Center for Land Use Education and Research.
Certificate of Environmental Achievement: Diana Martinez, Middletown agriculture and
environmental justice advocate, creator of the Miller Street Community Farm and Pathways
to Agriculture program; and Dick Shriver, founder of Estuary Magazine, promoting
conservation and stewardship of the Connecticut River Watershed.
90th Anniversary Celebration
Founded in 1935 by Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth, the Rockfall Foundation has spent 90 years promoting environmental education and conservation. The October 8, 2025 event will feature welcoming remarks, the keynote address, awards presentation, live music, food, and displays from 2025 Rockfall grant recipients. Details and ticket information can be found at rockfallfoundation.org/event/90th-anniversary-celebration. Proceeds from the dinner support the Rockfall Foundation’s work.
