Kyle Thiermann Receives Peter Benchley Youth Award

Santa Cruz Surfer and "Claim your Change" founder Kyle Thiermann receives the Youth Activism Award. This year's Benchley Manta winners in seven categories included Science: Jesse Ausubel who coordinated the decade-long Census of Marine Life. Policy: Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Exploration: Don Walsh, lifelong explorer and one of only two humans to reach the deepest part of the ocean. Media: Louie Psihoyos, director of the Academy Award winning Documentary 'The Cove.' Foundation Spirit: The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (accepted by Barry Gold), Youth Activism: Santa Cruz Surfer and "Claim your Change" founder Kyle Thiermann, and Hero of the Seas: Cynthia Sarthou, Executive Director of the Gulf Restoration Network.
Each winner was introduced by a presenter including three past Benchley award recipients: Smithsonian's Dr. Nancy Knowlton (science), Sea Studio's Mark Shelley (media) and longtime offshore drilling opponent Richard Charter (Hero of the Seas). Others included Maria Brown of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Explorer Greg Stone of Conservation International, Meg Caldwell of the Center for Ocean Solutions and "J." Nichols of Ocean Revolution who read the last line from my 'Saved by the Sea' memoir, "It's not God's green earth -- it's God's blue marble," before passing on some blue marbles.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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• J Nichols
• Blue Marble
• Sea Stewards