FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 1, 2008

Point of Contact:  Sandi Duchesne, PVC Secretary, 827-3782 home/ 827-4456 work

FIRST ANNUAL INEZ BOYD ENVIRONMENTAL PRIZE AWARD

On Wednesday, April 9, the Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon will award the Inez Boyd Environmental Prize Award to two University of Maine scholars.  The ceremony will be held in the Multipurpose Room on the ground floor of Memorial Union on the UMaine campus, starting at 7:00 p.m.  Both of the awardees will present a 20-minute description of their research, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.  The event is open to the public.

Robert Freeman was awarded the $1000 first prize for his research entitled "Modeling the impacts of land use change on vernal pool-breeding amphibians."  Mr. Freeman was nominated for the award by his advisor, Associate Professor Kathleen Bell of the School of Economics, and by Associate Professor Aram Calhoun of the Department of Wildlife Ecology.  He hopes to receive his Ph.D. in Ecology and Environmental Science in December 2008.

Michael Bailey was awarded the $500 second prize for his research entitled "Effects of age and size on relative survival of newly stocked Atlantic salmon fry."  Mr. Bailey was nominated for the award by his advisor, Assistant Professor Michael Kinnison of the School of Biology and Ecology, and by Dr. Joan Trial, a senior biologist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources in Bangor.  He hopes to receive his Ph.D. in Zoology in May 2009.

The Inez Boyd Environmental Prize Award was established to encourage and reward academic research at the University of Maine on topics that promote the mission and major initiatives of the Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon.  It is named in honor of the late Inez Boyd, one of the chapter's original founders.  Inez Boyd was a lifelong environmentalist and an inspirational leader.  Please make plans to attend the awards ceremony and learn more about the exciting work of these environmentally minded scholars.