Today the Bob Brown Foundation announced the recipients of their first annual Environmental Awards. It must have been a difficult choice, with so many inspiring, courageous and outstanding environmentalists right across this country. I  feel so honoured to be chosen as the recipient of the Environmental Courage Award, for my efforts in the Observer Tree. Thank you to the Foundation for their generosity and for the acknowledgment and recognition of the work of environmentalists. It was a great day, too, for a wonderful and awe-inspiring fellow Tasmanian forest campaigner; Jenny Weber. No one could be more deserving than Jenny of the 2012 Environmentalist of the Year Award. She is one of the most committed and hard-working people I have ever met and her relentless efforts over the past decade of running the Huon Valley Environment Centre and fighting for our forests is incredible. If I had a hero, it would be Jenny Weber! It has been so inspirational to work with her on the forest campaign over the years. And in particular this past nine months while I have been in the Observer Tree, Jenny has continued to inspire me to keep going despite the increasing uncertainty facing the forests. And I would like to also acknowledge the many, many courageous and passionate people who stand with us in fighting for Tasmania’s precious forests. And the people all around the world who stand with us in  solidarity. Together we will continue to take action and stand strong for the forests.

Today’s award presentations also awarded a Young Environmentalist of the Year to Dan Spencer of South Australia, a member of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. The Foundation recognised Dan’s efforts saying that, among other things he  led “a widely publicised youth action at this years UN Climate Conference in Mexico and has been instrumental in the current walk from Port Augusta to Adelaide in support of solar power replacing two decrepit coal-fired power stations”

Bob Brown had this to say about the awards: “We are delighted to honour these three wonderful Australian environmentalists and, in doing so, also honour the thousands more in this environment-loving nation and it’s region who work so hard, often unrecognized, for our terrestrial and marine ecosystems.”