Photo submitted to Times Observer In a recent presentation in Queensbury, N.Y., Audubon Council of New York State Vice Chair Craig Thompson (left) presented the Council’s Norman I. Stotz Award to Audubon Community Nature Center President Ruth Lundin. The award recognizes the Audubon New York member who best demonstrates extraordinary leadership on behalf of the Audubon Society in broad-based state-wide, regional and local contexts, and whose contributions to the environmental cause best carries forward the spirit of Norman Stotz.

The Audubon Council of New York State presented its prestigious Norman I. Stotz Award to Ruth Lundin, president of Audubon Community Nature Center (ACNC).

The annual award recognizes the Audubon New York member who best demonstrates extraordinary leadership on behalf of the Audubon Society in broad-based state-wide, regional and local contexts, and whose contributions to the environmental cause best carries forward the spirit of Norman I. Stotz.

This is the Council’s highest affiliate honor, and it was presented at the Council’s Spring Conference in Queensbury on Saturday, April 28. In presenting the award, Council Vice Chair Craig Thompson cited Lundin’s many outstanding contributions to the Audubon cause.

Thompson called particular attention to Lundin’s visionary leadership at the Nature Center, which has been a widely acknowledged thought-leader in environmental education, community engagement and advocacy since its inception in 1977, and has enjoyed robust growth under Lundin’s exceptional direction.

During her long and productive 19-year tenure at ACNC, Lundin has established vibrant regional partnerships with education providers and environmental advocates in New York’s Chautauqua County and Warren County in Pennsylvania.

Lundin served for 10 years on the board of the Audubon Council of New York State, three as Vice Chair, and five as Secretary, literally bringing the Council into the digital age. During her long affiliation with the Council, Lundin faithfully attended and actively participated in its spring and fall conferences, frequently conducting “working lunches” and “interest sessions” during conference down times. She took the lead in planning and hosting the highly regarded Fall 2014 Council Conference in Jamestown and oversaw a range of stimulating pre- and post-conference events at natural areas and institutions throughout Chautauqua County. Of her award, Lundin said, “I am honored to receive this recognition. It represents the dedication of the staff and volunteers of Audubon Community Nature Center, who are always working to find better ways to serve the community, and memorializes the spirit of Norm Stotz, whose work I admire.”

Stotz was a tireless environmental activist who served the New York City Audubon Society in many capacities. He worked to create the Audubon Council of New York State, a consortium of the 27 National Audubon Society chapters in New York, representing 55,000 members and recognized throughout the National Audubon network as a model of organizational excellence through innovation and collective achievement.

As the chapter representing both Chautauqua County, N.Y., and Warren County, Pa., Audubon Community Nature Center serves as the National Audubon Society’s sole affiliate in Western New York’s vast Southern Tier.

Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways. Visit at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown, N.Y., and Warren, or online at auduboncnc.org.