On December 5th, 2019, David J. Hirschman will become the fourth recipient of the Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award. The award, given by the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council, a Chesapeake Bay regional non-profit, recognizes Hirschman for his dedication to sustainable water resources management and his leadership in environmental education and professional development of stormwater and landscape professionals within the Chesapeake Bay region.
Dave’s experience spans local government, non-profit, private consulting, and teaching at the university level. He is the founder of Hirschman Water & Environment (HWE) and served as a Program Director and Senior Water Resources Specialist with the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) for a decade prior to starting HWE. Dave also worked for Biohabitats of Virginia and, from 1993 to 2005, served as the Water Resources Manager for Albemarle County, VA. Dave’s breadth of experience has allowed him to influence the stormwater profession in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and bring it full circle to today’s focus on runoff reduction and the use of sustainable water resources management techniques and the environmental design focus that will sustain landscapes at many scales.
The Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award was established by the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council to honor former Council chair and Maryland naturalist and educator, Marcy Damon. Damon dedicated herself to contributing to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s effort to “Save the Bay,” but it was a life long love affair with nature that inspired her personal and professional efforts on sustainable landscaping, habitat preservation, and environmental education, and defined her efforts as a founding Board member of CCLC. Past award recipients include:
- Ellie Altman, former Director of the Adkins Arboretum
- Britt Slattery, currently Director of Conservation Education with the MD Dept. of Natural Resources, and previously with Audubon at Home
- Adele Ashkar, founder, George Washington University Landscape Design Program and Sustainable Landscapes Program
Hirschman will receive the Marcy Damon Conservation Landscaping Award at an evening ceremony in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on December 5th. The event will kick off the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council’s biennial sustainable landscaping “Turning a New Leaf” conference. The event is open to the public; however, the popular conference fills to capacity quickly.
“The purpose of each conference is to inspire, educate and help build the professional relationships that are essential if we are to grow sustainable landscaping programs and initiatives and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” says Pam Rowe, CCLC’s Board President. “This year it is a terrific honor to acknowledge the contributions of Dave Hirschman whose efforts so substantially further the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council and this conference’s mission and goals.”
