By Staff
The Alabama Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) and Discovering Alabama have awarded Senator Roger Bedford the 2007 Discovering Alabama Conservation Education Award.
The award was presented on May 24th by Dr. Doug Phillips, host of Discovering Alabama, the original award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary program aired weekly on Alabama Public Television, and by Craig Sizemore, President of the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts. "It's truly an honor to recognize Senator Bedford for his years of supporting conservation education," Sizemore said. "His efforts have assured our children the opportunity to learn how our national resources impact our quality of life."
"As both a Senator and a parent," Bedford said, "the most important things I hope to accomplish while in public office is to insure that our children have the best education possible and to use my position to help conserve those resources that will give them and their children the use of the God-given wonders of our great state. By educating the public, and more importantly, our children on the consequences of mismanaging our natural resources, I am better able to accomplish both goals."
The Alabama Association of Conservation Districts is a member of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), which was formed by conservation districts and their state associations in 1946.
After World War II, conservationists nationwide organized to educate and help local citizens conserve land, water, forests, wildlife and other natural resources. Today there are nearly 3,000 conservation districts nationwide – one in almost every county. The stated mission of the AACD and the NACD is: "To serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation."
For twenty years Doug Phillips and his Alabama Public Television series Discovering Alabama have thrilled and educated our citizens and Alabama teachers and their students about the wonders of our state.
The program is noted for its unique value in helping to make learning locally relevant for students.
The series is geared to serve as a springboard for schools seeking closer connections with community resources, needs, and issues. This informative program is presented in a manner that is useful and entertaining for the general public.
"This is not the first time that Senator Bedford has been noted for his support of our efforts to educate the public on conservation," Phillips said, "and I'm sure it will not be the last."