More than 230 guests joined Stroud Water Research Center, its board of directors and the presenting sponsor, Wilmington Trust, at the 17th annual Water’s Edge gala as they honored Chad Pregracke of Living Lands & Waters at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Chad Pregracke was presented with the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence in recognition of his dedication and determination to protect fresh water. Starting on the banks of the Mississippi River, where he grew up, he created Living Lands & Waters at the age of 23 to aid in the protection, preservation, and restoration of the natural environment of the nations’ major rivers and their watersheds, to expand awareness of environmental issues and responsibility encompassing rivers, and to create a desire and an opportunity for stewardship and responsibility for cleaner river environments.
“Working side by side over the past 21 years with more than 115,000 volunteers to clean up America’s rivers has been a huge honor. By no means did I ever expect to be rewarded for it, but I am extremely excited and humbled to accept the Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence given who they are, what they do, and who the past recipients have been. I love the work that the Stroud Center does and it certainly is a great honor to receive their recognition!”
Executive Director David Arscott, Ph.D. commented after the event, “We are so grateful for the many sponsors and guests who support the Stroud Center and its mission, and who have helped us distinguish others in pursuit of freshwater excellence. We are fortunate to be able to recognize organizations such as Living Lands & Waters that work so hard to protect our nation’s freshwater resources. Chad Pregracke is a perfect example of how one person can make a difference in this world by inspiring others.”
Since its inception in 2003, The Water’s Edge has featured an impressive list of individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the world of science, fresh water, and conservation. Previous Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence recipients have included Bob Irvin of American Rivers; His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco; National Park Service and its director, Jonathan Jarvis; Alexandra Cousteau; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of Waterkeeper Alliance; Drs. Jane Lubchenco and Kathryn Sullivan of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Dr. John Briscoe; and Olivia Newton-John and “Amazon” John Easterling.
CONTACT:
Diane Huskinson, Stroud Water Research Center
Leah Cafarelli, Living Lands & Waters, 309-236-0728, leah@livinglandsandwaters.org
About Stroud Water Research Center
Stroud Water Research Center seeks to advance knowledge and stewardship of freshwater systems through global research, education, and restoration and to help businesses, landowners, policymakers, and individuals make informed decisions that affect water quality and availability around the world. Stroud Water Research Center is an independent, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization recognized as a global leader in the field of freshwater science, environmental education, and watershed restoration, with a secondary location studying tropical ecosystems in Costa Rica.
About Living Lands & Water
Living Lands & Waters hosts river cleanups, watershed conservation initiatives, workshops, tree plantings, and other key conservation efforts. Since its founding, it has grown to be the only “industrial strength” river cleanup organization of its kind in the world. As of 2019, Living Lands & Waters has planted more than 1 million trees and removed more than 10 million pounds of trash from 24 rivers in 21 states with the help of more than 115,000 volunteers. https://www.livinglandsandwaters.org/
