Asbury Woods recently announced that Steve Wasiesky, Millcreek Township School District Environmental Educator and longtime fixture at Asbury Woods, has received the acclaimed Keystone Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators at their annual conference in late March.
The Keystone Award recognizes an educator who has dedicated their life to advancing the quality and opportunity for environmental education in Pennsylvania. Recipients of this award display uncommon and exceptional understanding, passion, and commitment to environmental education and serve as an inspiration to other environmental educators.
Wasiesky’s service to Asbury Woods began as a youth volunteer and that formative experience sparked 52 consecutive years being engaged at Asbury Woods over the years as a volunteer or staff member. He served as executive director of Asbury Woods Nature Center from 2011 to July 2016. In 2016, the nonprofit Asbury Woods Partnership purchased Asbury Woods from the Millcreek Township School District and Steve transitioned to his current role as the Environmental Education Coordinator for the Millcreek Township School District (MTSD).
“Tens of thousands of students have benefitted from Steve’s deep knowledge and passion for science, the environment and the outdoors. He’s helped ignite lifelong values of conservation and environmental stewardship in untold numbers of youth as he helped them learn the importance of our watershed, the interconnectedness of our environment and how they can personally make a difference. We are thrilled to share our congratulations to Steve for this well-deserved lifetime achievement award in the area of Environmental Education,” says Jennifer Farrar, Asbury Woods executive director.
