ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Hosted Miss America

We sponsored Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier’s classroom visit to Hillsboro Charter Academy (VA), where she recounted the true story of the rebirth of a creek. Schrier earned degrees in biochemistry and systems biology and was a on a mission to show kids that science is fun. We also donated the Green Earth Award winning book, Creekfinding, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin to each student.Donation

Received Record Number of Submissions

Each year the popularity and the number of submissions we receive for the Green Earth Book Award rises. In 2020, 183 books were submitted. Once the review list is complete, books are sent to our judges for their review and scoring.

Made COVID-19 Relief

We donated Green Earth Book Award winning books along with a community food drive to support families and kids out of school in Virginia.

Educated Future Teachers with Eco-Lit

Students at Salisbury University wrote lesson plans using the 2019 Green Earth Book Award nominees.

Donated 10,000 Books

We are proud to have reached a milestone and donated over 10,000 books to schools, community centers, hospitals, youth groups, and more. Our mission has always been to encourage green reading and get the winning books into the hands of children across the nation.

Completed First STEM Seed Grant Project

The New York Middle County Public Library Green Teens environmental club created “Meadow in My Backyard” nature sessions for younger children. They read GEBA winning books, taught hands on activities, and donated copies of the books to attendees.

Mentored the Next Generation

President Amy Marasco served as a mentor for seniors at Loudoun Valley High School during their yearlong Capstone Projects where they addressed water quality issues in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Awarded First STEM Seed Grants

Developed and awarded our first round of STEM Seed Grants, which are an outreach tool that supports ongoing efforts to engage and inform youth about STEM, environmental literacy, and science-based truth using GEBA books.

Commemorated Pollinator Garden

We commemorated the pollinator garden, which a home to the many pollinators vital to our eco system, to Amie Ware, NatGen staff member and volunteer, in recognition of her vision and dedication to making the trail an inviting pace for the community.

Hosted Last Golf Tournament

In June, we hosted our final annual golf classic and auction in Leesburg, VA. This annual tournament was a key fundraiser for our environmental education programs throughout the years, raising hundreds of thousands to support the national Green Earth Book Award and book donation program, STEM Seed Grants, and the many eco-resources we bring to teachers and students.

Presented “Closing the Environmental Literacy Gap”

Our very first webinar was produced in partnership with the Security and Sustainability Forum. We brought together authors, educators and environmental specialists to discuss how to best improve the environmental literacy of students.

Donated More Books

We provided over 2,000 environmental books to schools. We hosted classroom visits with Green Earth Book Award winning authors. We donated GEBA books to all students at the public Hillsboro Charter Academy, third graders at Lafayette Elementary, and sixth graders at Sidwell Friends.

Made Trail Improvements

NatGen received a $25,000 grant from the Dominion Foundation to make trail improvements, install plantings, and develop educational materials at the Chapman DeMary Trail. Our events brought hundreds of visitors to the trail including school groups, scout troops, hikers, birdwatchers, and volunteers.

Challenged Students

We challenged students across the country to read Green Earth Book Award winning books and give us their feedback. Teachers loved the way the challenge motivated students to read; and students were transported to the world of nature through beautifully written and illustrated books. 6,000 students read environmental books for our Green Reading Challenge contest — and winners won Kindles.

Added Learning Resources

In addition to our online EnviroPlay games and Green Earth Book Award winning books, we provided learning resources to teachers and students such as “No Planet B” posters and bookmarks to inspire stewardship and action. More than 500 students played our eco games at schools and events like P3 on the National Mall. We delivered E3 computer games to over 200 educators in 16 states.

Increased Collaboration and Partnership

We collaborated with like-minded organizations to help us get the word out about our mission and share our resources, including: North American Association for Environmental Education, National Environmental Education Foundation, Earth Day Network, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Washington Guild Of Children's Book Writers, Network for Good, The Piedmont Environmental Council, The Town of Purcellville, Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun Valley High School, Guilford Elementary, Patterson Elementary, Culbert Elementary, Hayfield Secondary, Little Run Elementary, Duke Ellington School of Arts, and the Virginia State Reading Association.

Spotlighted Modern Day Storytellers

During our Green Earth Book Award ceremony, keynote speaker Bob Deans (Natural Resources Defense Council) celebrated winners, calling them the modern storytellers of the earth. We honored the authors who write the books that inspire our youth to take action. Authors visited and inspired over 1,000 students with classroom visits.

Connected With Nature

Hundreds of students and residents use our Chapman DeMary Nature Trail as an outdoor classroom to connect with nature; including 5th graders working with high schoolers, scout troops, Weed Warrior clean up volunteers, and college students from Indonesia.

Spread the Word

We continued to get the word out about environmental stewardship to teachers, students and communities across the nation through our monthly blog featuring board members and winning authors; and through President Amy Marasco ‘s monthly feature in the Purcellville Gazette, “View From My Window,” a call to slow down and listen to nature.

Forged New Partnership

We signed a partnership agreement with the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, a national network of clubs nearly 100,000 members strong, to expand our national reach. Clubs across the nation worked to support us by planting community butterfly gardens, donating GEBA-winning books to local libraries and schools, and raising funds for our environmental education programs.

Initiated Enviro Games

We introduced E3: Education on Energy and the Environment computer games in an engaging quiz-show format with a focus on the environment and stewardship. These easy-to-use, interactive games can be played at home or in class.

Celebrated 10 Years of GEBA

We celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Green Earth Book Award during the Green Tie Reception at the National Press Club, hosted by NBC’s Wendy Rieger with keynote speaker Richard Harris of NPR. We also donated 1,150 environmental books to underserved schools in the metro DC area.

Said Happy Birthday to the Trail

Celebrated the Chapman DeMary Nature Trail's 5th birthday. Additions to the trail this year included species identification signs and kiosks.

Brought Authors into Classrooms

We honored 12 authors with our Green Earth Book Award and brought them into classrooms. They visited over 1,500 students and shared their love of nature. We donated more than 1,000 GEBA books to schools and youth groups.

Got Kids Outside

We hosted over 800 students from DC and surrounding counties on the Chapman DeMary Trail. We connected them to nature through our Trail to Water Quality, Family Stream Day, and National Trails Day activities. We donated field kits with binoculars, magnifying glasses, and other tools for discovery for students to use on the trail.

Created A Home for Butterflies

Broke ground for a pollinator plot on the Chapman DeMary Trail with 600 plants beneficial to Monarchs and pollinators. Student stewards monitored and reported on water quality.

Rediscovered Ourselves

Thanks to the support and expertise from our corporate partner, Cadmus, we created a new name, The Nature Generation. This better reflects our mission to inspire environmental stewards to cultivate a healthy planet for future generations.

Awarded Students

Students honored Rachel Carson’s legacy in a poster contest. The Maryland high schoolers who participated in the community-based environmental stewardship activities received a Rachel Carson Scholarship monetary award with support from our corporate partner, Tetra Tech.

Encouraged Enviro Reading

6,000 students read environmental books for our Green Reading Challenge contest — winners won Kindles. In addition, we donated thousands of eco-books to youth groups and schools throughout the country.

Celebrated a Washingtonian Green Award

The Nature Generation president and founder, Amy Marasco, proudly accepted a Green Award from Washingtonian Magazine. This prestigious award celebrates Washingtonians who preserve and protect the environment through education, promoting green building, and teaching the importance of living green.

Hosted Outdoor Learning

Over 650 students, scout troops and community members explored the Chapman DeMary Trail. Countless volunteers helped maintain the healthy environment during special water testing, clean up, and planting days.

Encouraged Good Stewardship

GEBA Picture Book winner, Todd Parr, showed preschoolers how to be good to the planet at an event we hosted at Salisbury University. In all, we donated over 1,000 books to schools at author events like these and to elementary, middle, and high schools across the country.

Created EnGauge It!

We partnered with UPS and youth groups in EnGauge It! - a public awareness campaign that educated drivers on how properly inflated tires save gas, money, and lives. Over 5,000 tire gauges were distributed to motorists in the D.C. area.

Donated Books in Philadelphia

Working with one of our corporate partners, GDIT (formerly SRA), we donated hundreds of books to students at a Philadelphia school.

Curated Green Art

GEBA-winning illustrators were featured art at the Ward Museum of Waterfowl Art in conjunction with the Awards ceremony hosted by Salisbury University.

Encouraged School Plantings

We funded and helped students at Hillsboro Elementary and Emerick Elementary (VA) plant educational learning gardens on their school grounds.

Bestowed Stewardship Award

We presented Loudoun Valley High School teacher Liam McGranaghan with an award to recognize his dedication, commitment, and support to the creation and maintenance of the Chapman DeMary Trail. Years later, the McGranaghan Stewardship Award continues to be bestowed to an individual or organization that has had the greatest impact on the Chapman DeMary Trail.

Donated More Books to Schools

We donated more than 1,000 GEBA books to schools and youth groups across the nation.

Created an Outdoor Classroom

The Nature Generation supported teacher and Jeffersonian naturalist John DeMary and his students in their a vision to protect a 10-acre tract of land near their school and use it as an outdoor classroom. John Chapman, owner of the land and father of a former student of Mr. DeMary’s, heard the students’ presentation to community leaders and was so impressed that he put the land into a conservation easement, as long as the students continued to be stewards of the area.

Supported the Trail

We played a large role in establishing the conservation easement and providing funds for Chapman DeMary trail maintenance and habitat enhancement. We also provided educational opportunities such as community nature walks, water testing projects, pollinator gardening workshops, and school field trips. The trail is now under the umbrella of Purcellville County Parks and Recreation and continues to be a nature retreat for all to enjoy.

Found a University Partner

We celebrated our GEBA winners at an awards ceremony hosted by Salisbury University, in conjunction with their Children’s Literature Festival. We sponsored the winning authors’ classroom visits and donated hundreds of books to elementary and middle school children.

Commemorated Rachel Carson Day

We launched the Rachel Carson Centennial Celebration and organized the designation of May 27 as “Rachel Carson Day” with activities on Capitol Hill to honor the Marylander who pioneered the modern environmental movement and awakened America’s environmental conscience.

Instilled A Sense of Wonder

We celebrated Rachel Carson’s 100th birthday anniversary by hosting an internationally renowned play about Carson “A Sense of Wonder,” by Kaiulani Lee on Capitol Hill, New York City, Loudoun County, and at a Wildlife Refuge educational center in Maryland. We hosted a screening of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” at the Environmental Literacy Festival.

Helped Students Design a Habitat

We supported students from Loudoun Valley High School in Virginia as they begin a two-year transformation of turning a stormwater pond into a wetlands habitat.

Launched "Field It!"

We launched Field It! to reach youth by supporting field trips, outdoor classroom installations, water quality testing and wetlands rehabilitation projects; by sponsoring environmental art and photography contests; and by providing field and lab equipment to classrooms.

Played “Fore” the Planet

We hosted the first of many successful Greater Washington Eco-Golf Classic tournaments. Winners were awarded with the Dave Newton Memorial Trophy to commemorate his philanthropic and environmental work. The tournament was a collaboration of players in the fields of environment, energy, IT, hospitality, finance and management consulting coming together to support The Nature Generation.

Brought Authors into Schools

We encouraged environmental exploration through literature by honoring 12 authors from across the country with our Green Earth Book Award. We brought winning authors into classrooms to visit over 1,500 students and share their love of nature. We donated over 1,000 Green Earth books to schools and youth groups across the nation.

Created the Green Earth Book Award

The founding board of directors created the Green Earth Book Award to encourage and reward authors and illustrators who wrote environmental books for children and young adults. These books raise awareness about the beauty of our natural world and the responsibility we have to protect it.

Awarded First GEBA

The first book to receive the Green Earth Book Award was The Sea, The Storm and the Mangrove Tangle, by Lynne Cherry.

Filled the Gap

The Newton Marasco Foundation (later known as The Nature Generation) is created to fill a missing gap in the environmental literature space–nowhere else in the U.S. existed an award that specifically recognized the importance of authors who teach our next generation of environmental stewards how to care for the planet.

Inspired by a Mission

Amy Marasco and her husband Dave Newton sold their environmental consulting firm with plans to volunteer and travel. However, when Dave passed away unexpectedly the next year, Amy created the Newton Marasco Foundation in his memory. She and a group of friends and family sketched out a plan with a mission to inspire and teach our youth to protect the planet, and they never looked back.