BALDWINSVILLE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT – The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), the most distinguished institution in the nation that focuses on the study of the environment, has awarded the inaugural SUNY ESF Book Award to Maegan DuBois from CW Baker High School, Baldwinsville. “The ESF Book Award recognizes a high school student who excels in the area of science or service specifically concerning the environment,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “The award also provides an opportunity to nurture the student’s desire to continue to learn and foster their growth and development as lifelong learners.” Maegan DuBois was nominated by her science teacher Mark Penhollow. Penhollow teaches Global Environment (EFB120), which is an ESF in the high school course dual enrollment course at CW Baker High School. Maegan “is a passionate environmentalist with an impressive breadth of knowledge of environmental issues,” said Penhollow. “She has always been a reliable and active member of the Baker Environmental Club activities ranging from campus cleanups to tree plantings to fundraisers. She attended the 2024 Central New York Youth Climate Summit and was selected to participate in the BOCES Summer 2024 Adirondack Program at the SUNY ESF Cranberry Lake Biological Station. She is also an avid reader of science history and loves simply walking in nature.” “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” by distinguished teaching professor Robin Kimmerer is this year’s book award. “Braiding Sweetgrass” is a collection of essays weaving traditional ecological knowledge with scientific knowledge to examine the relationship people have and can have with the living environment. As a botanist, Kimmerer uses science to understand nature. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the idea that plants and animals are our oldest teachers and incorporates both in her research and teaching. Schools that participate in the ESF in the high school dual enrollment program were invited to nominate a student. The ESF Book Award was bestowed at the high school’s spring awards ceremony. About ESF The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the college community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The college offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research both on the main campus in Syracuse as well as on 25,000 acres of field stations that exist in a variety of ecosystems across the state. About ESF in the High School ESF in the High School is a collaboration between ESF and partner urban, rural, and suburban school districts across New York state. The ESF in the High School program enables qualified high school students to earn college credit and provides high school teachers an opportunity to teach as adjunct instructors to the college.