Robert Felix Memorial Fund Awards: Summer 2012
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Robert Felix Memorial Fund Awards
2012-13 Scholarships, Arboriculture Education Grant Announced
Robert Felix served for more than 25 years as Executive Vice President of the National Arborist Association (now Tree Care Industry Association). The Robert Felix Memorial Fund was created by the Felix family following his death in 1996 to honor his work and contributions to the industry. The Fund supports:
- Robert Felix Memorial Scholarships of $3,000 each, awarded to college students studying arboriculture, urban forestry or related fields with the intention of entering arboriculture
- Arboriculture Education Grants to support the development of arboriculture educational programs and materials for K-12 students
2012-13 Robert Felix Memorial Scholarship Winners:
Conor Laffey (University of Massachusetts – Amherst)
- Pursued degree: Natural Resource Conservation with a concentration in Urban Forestry
- Expected to graduate: 2015
An Arboriculture & Forest Management major at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at U. Mass – Amherst, Conor will receive his Associates degree in May 2013 and plans to pursue his Bachelors degree in Natural Resource Conservation with a concentration in Urban Forestry. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Conor moved to Falmouth, MA ten years ago, fulfilling his dream to live in a wooded area near the ocean. He is employed as a Fire Technician for the National Park Service on the Cape Cod National Seashore. His goal is to become a forest manager and to research ways to create sustainable forests.
Micah Wood (Brigham Young University – Idaho)
- Pursued degree: Horticulture with a minor in Business Management
- Expected to graduate: 2013
Micah grew up in Rigby, ID and lives with his wife, Heather, in Rexburg, ID. A senior at Brigham Young University – Idaho, he is pursuing a degree in Horticulture with a minor in Business Management. While at BYU Micah interned at Earth Designs in Idaho Falls, ID, North West Landscape Services in Elk Grove Village, IL and The Care of Trees in Barrington, IL.
An Arboriculture Education Grant of $5,000 was awarded to Greening of Detroit to support LAND (Learn, Admire, Nurture, Dream). LAND provides classroom programs and field trips for 5th-6th graders from ten urban Detroit schools to foster a connection between the children and nature. Field trips to Detroit’s Rouge Park occur seasonally and incorporate structured learning and unstructured exploration time. Subsequent classroom activities are designed to encourage children to connect to the environment in their own neighborhood while learning about the impacts humans have on ecosystems and how to improve those interactions.