Environment Champions: 2010-2024

2024

Student Volunteers:

Victoria Bogatz, Bellevue East High School Green Initiative

Izzy Hernandez, Bellevue West High School Sustain Club

Aarg Patel, Bellevue West High School Sustain Club

Adult Volunteers:

Nathaniel Bacon, Bellevue East High School

Gary & Barbara Bittner, Boy Scouts of America Troops 231 B&G

Taylor Cooper, Bryan High School Urban Agriculture Academy

John Dengel, Bellevue East High School

Steve Fox, Fontenelle Forest

Steve Rothe

Leah Wright, Dry Spokes

2023

Student Volunteers:

Jackie Petrow (Bellevue West)

Chloe Johnson (Omaha Students for Sustainability)

Ryan Quinn (Omaha Students for Sustainability)

Adult Volunteers:

Dave Heck, Solutions Lumber

Scott Bartlett, Omaha South

Matt Miller, Fontenelle Forest

Stephanie Finklea, Black Chick Farm

Sherry Hubbard

2022

Organization

Climate ExChange

Bellevue Native Plant Society

Midwest Natives Nursery

Latino Center of the Midlands: Siembra Raices

Adult Volunteers:

Abraham Mora

Amanda Angle

Dakota Staggs

Laura Jones

Luke Schroer

Megan Smith-Sellans

Nathan Duffy

Patrick Atwell

Witold Lehmann

Student Volunteers:

Maggie Stamp

LeMay Elementry School

Birchcrest Elementary School

2021

Student Volunteers:

Angel Strong

Mercedes Silva, GB Board

Maddy Vasquez, GB Board

Phoenix Stanford

Carlee Rigatuso

Elijah Bullie

Chloe Zarp

Annabelle Bindle

Gabriella Bullie

Ella Benson

Bellevue East Green Initiative

Government Recycling:

Bellevue Public Works

LaVista Public Works

Papillion Public Works

Adult Volunteers:

Annabel Major, GB Board

Jeremy Bowers, GB Board

Dr. Sarah Gaughan, GB Board

Holly Hofreiter, Tree Board

Debora Woracek, Tree Board

Scott Evans, Tree Board

Kay Baldwin

Ray & Lisa Turkle

Katie Preister

Senny Stanford

Nancy Crews

Stephanie Barelman

Taylor Hoenshell

Organization:

Fontenelle Forest Staff

 

2020

Education:

Director Kevyn Sopinski, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District

Dr. Martha Shulski, Director of UNL’s NE State Climate Office

Henry Doorly Zoo Academy:

For the Fins: video and trashion fashion

Myo K Zine Soe, Trinity Lewis, Emma Stock, and Kayce Stevens

Pollinator Protectors: Amy Wagner, Julie Ferro and Haley Estlund (video)

Biocubed: (video) Figs Ju, Dylan Baker, Caitlin Copenhaver, Dylan Folda, Payton Detavernier.

Planet B: (video) Lexi Blankenfeld, Erin Teske, Kaya Koraleski, Tyler Mathews, Alyssa Flott

Nebraska Raptors (video) Sam Baratta, Blake Anderson, Jackson Henning, Erica Griffith, Ethan Smith

Zooniverse: (video) Aidan Hatfield, Maddy Jaksha, and Avery Wagner

On the Course: (video) Makenna Parks, Emily Nelson, and Alexis Hoover

Koleen Haldeman Co-Teachers (Also Tess Sykes, EC Award 2017)

Adult Volunteers:

Noah, Tara, & Carl Sundberg

Kerri Diez-Pillen

Kyle Bivens

Dr. John Kyndt

Dr. Tyler Moore

Leonor Choi 

Kendra Terlson

Bob Fusselman

Student Volunteers:

Camden Foss

Riley Foss

Adelina Foss

Acelyn Dil

Student Projects:

Project Revitalize, Bellevue West FBLA

Baden Brumbaugh

Jack Mettin

Leah Larson

Pat Hinkle, Co-Advisor

Katthie Britten, Co-Advisor

2019

Dr. Ted Burk, Professor of Biology at Creighton University

Organizations:

Beardmore Subaru, ED sponsor & electric vehicles

ROI Consulting, Inc.

Hillside Solutions

OPPD

T.E.A.M.

Young Adults:

Zoo Academy

Sierra McMains

Lilia Alvarez

Rylee Canales

Bellevue West:

Arcelia Marquez, GB Board Member 

Volunteering:

Dr. Sharon Rea 

Andy Severson 

Jennifer Hulscher 

Gillian Cromwell 

Albert Lierz, Clean energy electric cars 

Graham Christensen, regenerative agriculture 

Brian Kear, Bellevue University 

Anita & Saul Soto, Zero waste and community garden 

Craig Moody, renewable energy & efficiency 

Libby Rea, Student, Volunteer 

Garrett Sims, Zero Waste Foodstock events 

Educators:

Dr. Mike Shambaugh-Miller, Leadership in food recovery

 

2018

Educators:

Kay Carne

Rachel Carraher

Betsy Goodman

Matt Gregory

Kyle Johnson

John Pollack

Josh Preister

Cliff Mesner

John Royster

Ben Samuelson

Dr. Jeremy White

Young Adults:

Patrick McGreal

Ellie Morrison

Lillian West

Rachel Williss 

Volunteering:

Naomi Colby

Michelle Foss

Rocky Keehn

Mary Ann Krzemien

Jeanine Lackey

Kelly Mcvey

Frances Moore

Andrea Ortiz

Jimeal Phillips

Margaret Stamp

Sarah Supenski

Cheyenne Svenson

Youth:

Joslyn Stamp 

2017

David Holtzclaw 

Emily Salie 

Eric Williams

David Holtzclaw

Zoo Academy Class 2017

Alex Wiles

Kylee Rene Fischer

Debbie Fischer

Bellevue Garden Club

Roger Cox

Hefty Bag Program

Martha Ruff 

Gus von Roenn  

Jeanine Lackey 

Kat Woerners 

Sarah Lively 

Cathy Fugel 

Alex Colby 

Jill Krumbach 

Corrie Oberdin 

David Stotts 

Tess Sykes

 

2016

Fitssentials - Business

Caleb Eby - Young Adult

Brook Riley- Young Adult

Allyson Marie Riley - Youth

Milisa Riley 

County Commissioner Tom Richards

Seth Kron-Keith

Charlene Brown 

Helen & Ken Deffenbacker

David Corbin

Michael Shonka

Jim & Marty Davis

Bellevue Public Schools

Della Lee

Bryan High School Thrive Leadership

Harmony Court- Business 

2015

Gretna:

Andy Harpenau, Gretna Sanitation

Omaha:

Brittany Dabestani 

Bellevue:

Epiphany Ramos, City of Bellevue 

Kim Luik, Papillion Sanitation 

Art Pawlak, Firstar Fiber 

Nancy Scott 

Sara Lee 

Karissa Williams, Offutt Collision

Shelah Davis

Jennifer Wilson

Papillion:

Neal Von Seggern 

Lacey Wrubel 

LaVista:

Candy Bless

Business Awards:

Papillion Sanitation 

Papio/Mo Natural Resources District 

Great Southern Bank 

UN at Omaha   

Nebraska Medicine - Bellevue 

Offutt Collision Repair

Young Adult:

Grace Wilson, Bellevue East 

Youth:

Madeline Lee 

Audrey Davis

Miranda Davis

Greta Jacobson

Julian Wrubel

 

2014

Youth:

Bobby Richter

William Richter

Emily Wilson

Kellen Bees

Trenton Shonka

Volunteering:

Alice Boeckman 

Virginia Babcock Senator Sue Crawford 

Graham Herbst 

Marta Nieves

Mayor Rita Sanders Alan Weiss 

2013

Jeff Rippe

Craig Christians

Becca Gilbert

Anthony Elias

Jennie Hovey

KKids - Bellevue Elementary

Alex Totman

Melissa Bees 

Kay Baldwin 

Cindy Ruffner 

David Larrick

Maureen Kowker

Dale Gubbels

 

2012

Kevin Rohlfs, Bellevue West Principal

Alysa Dale

Congressional Awards Club/ EARTH-KIND volunteers:

Erica Lunde

Tristan Gilbert

Mystie Bracken

Bellevue West Ecology Club members:

Nicole DiPaolo

Hailey Stolze

Michael Maybe

Christian Pechler

Dave Babbitt 

Carol Blood

Lisa Bethel-Didamo 

Cynthia Hill 

Mary Jo Hopfensperger

Bridgett Petzholdt 

Megan Shonka 

Michel Thornhill 

Della Lee Wilson 

Steve Thyberg

Marya Lucca-Thyberg

Shirley McNally

2011

Judy Lane 

Ted Menzel

Julie Sorensen, Congressional Awards Club

Bellevue West High School

Church of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Tom Jones

St. Mary's School , Cindy Menzel

Marea Whitaker Bishop 

Kathryn Ewing 

Lisa Bonhert 

Councilman Dave Sanborn 

JoAnn Langabee

Mary Leahy 

Julie Petr  

 

2010

Julie McNally 

Tonya Ward 

Justin Evertson 

Bob Hendrickson 

Robert Clark 

Harlan Hamernik 

Kathleen Cue 

Ben Frakes 

Jeff Mesenbrink 

Wake Robin School

Chad Zavala Chandler View School 

Patti Smith, KIND Club

Gary Mixan

Terry Lee 

Tom Mruz 

Don Preister 

Ruth Richter

Anita Eckley 

Lisa Swanson 

Wendy Lee

Dave Anson

Dana Conaway