Arbor Day Awards
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2009 National Arbor Day Awards

Frederick Law Olmsted Award

Robert Thibodeaux

Robert Thibodeaux of Church Point, La., will be awarded the Frederick Law Olmsted Award for his extraordinary work at the regional level.

Since opening a nursery and tree preservation company in 1964, Thibodeaux has worked with private property owners, businesses and the State of Louisiana to plant countless trees and preserve land throughout the region. Following the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Thibodeaux took action, donating and planting trees to save the rich Gulf Coast area.

In 2007, he founded Acorns of Hope, a coastal restoration project that is adding 10,000 oak trees to the coastal regions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas through 2012. He collected acorns from historic live oak trees found in Louisiana, and nurtured them on his tree preserve. He travels from community to community, planting these “Cheniers” and educating young people about the benefits of planting trees.

This year’s winners are:

  • Frederick Law Olmsted Award

    • Robert Thibodeaux of Church Point, LA

  • Lawrence Enersen Award

    • Michael Hardy of Philadelphia, PA

  • Lady Bird Johnson Award

    • The Streetscape Program of Fort Myers Beach, FL

  • Rachel Carson Award

    • World Forum Foundation

  • Good Steward Award

    • Blue Valley Ranch of Kremmling, CO

  • Project Award

    • The Village of Wilmette, IL
    • Reforest the Bluegrass of Lexington, KY
    • Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association of Fayetteville, AK
    • The Hardwood Forestry Fund of Reston, VA
    • Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Inc.

  • Education Award

    • Tahoma High School's Outdoor Academy of Kent, WA
    • The Kirkwood Junior TreeKeepers of Kirkwood, MO

  • Media Award

    • Louisiana Public Broadcasting's documentary Return to the Forest Where We Live
    • The International Society of Arboriculture's interactive “Planting and Early Care” series
    • The Wild Trees, written by Richard Preston

  • Celebration Award

    • The City of Minneapolis, MN
    • City of Olympia, WA

  • Promise to the Earth Award

    • Allstate Insurance Company
    • Citi Cards

Award winners are recognized for their leadership in the cause of tree planting, conservation,and environmental stewardship.

Leaders in tree planting, conservation, and environmental stewardship from around the country and world are honored each year at our annual Arbor Day Awards celebration held in Nebraska City, Nebraska. The awards ceremony is part of the annual Arbor Day weekend celebration held at Lied Lodge & Conference Center.