NSW Environmental Education Awards
celebrating the achievements of environmental educators and amplifying their stories
Congratulations to our 2025 NSW Environmental Education Award Winners!
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2025 NSW Environmental Education Awards
The Awards are presented to individuals who have made an exemplary contribution to the field of environmental education.
The 2025 Award categories are:
- Environmental Educator of the Year
- Emerging Environmental Educator of the Year
- Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year
- Early Childhood Environmental Educator of the Year
Return and Earn Program Leader of the Year
Nomination requirements
- A nominee may only be nominated in one category.
- A separate form must be submitted for each award nomination.
- All nominees must be based in NSW or carry out the majority of their work in NSW.
- Nominees do not need to be members of AAEE, though membership is encouraged
1. Reflect on quality education practice
Do you know an environmental educator that is inspiring positive change in your community? Support their good work and give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them (or yourself!) for a 2025 EENSW Award. In brief, information you will need to prepare your nomination includes contact details, a reference, a response to our nomination questions and a few photographs or images that help tell the story.
2. Prepare your application
The online nomination process is a Survey Monkey form, you will need to complete in one sitting. We recommend reading the nomination questions in this PDF summary then drafting your answers in a Word document. This will give you time to edit and refine your responses before submission. When you are ready, copy and paste your answers into our online form. Please note you cannot save and return to the online nomination form once you have started.
3. Submit your application
- Complete all required questions
- Email your supporting images
- Register for the awards event
- Click the submit button!
You can view a PDF summary of 2025 criteria and nomination questions for all awards here
Award Winners, Highly Commended and event attendees from our online celebration in December 2025. We had a ‘Biodiversity’ themed fancy dress!
Recent award recipients
Early Childhood Educator of the Year
Highly Commended – Amanda Ford, KU ANSTO Children’s Centre
Winner – Aimee Madden, Kensington Castle
Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year
Highly Commended – Lucy Barbuto, Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Helensburgh
Winner – Jenny Henson, Caddies Creek Public School
Return and Earn Program Leader Award
Highly Commended – Joanne Rice, Kearns Public School
Highly Commended – Lynne Graham, Toybox Early Learning (Mascot)
Winner – Carol Rowe, Bennett Road Public School
NSW Emerging Leader in Environmental Education
Highly Commended – Granton Lee, Berrima Public School
Winner – Monique Bailey, Hawkesbury Regional Council
NSW Environmental Educator of the Year
Highly Commended – Alana Rooney, Blacktown City Council
Winner – Christine Freeman, Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre
NSW Environmental Educator of the Year
Highly Commended – Beth Riolo, Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong
Winner – Abbie Mitchell, Jane Goodall Institute Australia
NSW Emerging Leader in Environmental Education Award
Highly Commended- Amy Naicker, Sydney Zoo
Winner – Yasmin Andrews, Reverse Garbage
Return and Earn Program Leader Award
Highly Commended – Loretta Rapa, Catholic Schools Broken Bay
Winner – David Bateman, Dapto High School
Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year
Highly Commended – Ascham School
Highly Commended – Fisher Road School
Winner – Mumbulla School for Rudolf Steiner Education
Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year Award
Winner – Shane Roberts, Belltrees Public School
Highly Commended – Rebecca Daniell, Cudgegong Valley Public School
Sustainability Connect Business of the Year Award
Highly Commended – Jane Goodall Institute Australia
Winner – Sydney Zoo
Return and Earn Program Leader
Highly Commended – Scott Thompson
Winner – Christian Maait & Meg Thomas
Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year
Highly Commended – Aaron Parker
Winner – Daniel Levitt
Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year
Highly Commended -Quirindi Public School
Winner – Redlands
Sustainability Connect Business of the Year
Winner – Mememe Productions / DirtGirlWorld
Winner – Kids Connecting Nature
NSW Emerging Leader in Environmental Education
Highly Commended – Sally Giblin
Highly Commended – Jess Menendez
Winner – Sally Eriksen
NSW Environmental Educator of the Year
Highly Commended – Graham Valentine
Highly Commended – Peter Rutherford
Winner – Julia Barnes
Award Winners and Highly Commended Nominees
Sarah Jantos, Green Hereos, Overall Winner – NSW Environmental Educator of the Year Award
Sarah Jantos, Green Heroes. Winner – Community Educator of the Year Award
Darren Martin, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Highly Commended – Community Educator of the Year Award
Christian Eckardt, Greater Sydney Parklands. Winner – Government Educator of the Year Award
Margaret Gleeson, Keiraville Community Preschool. Winner – Early Learning Educator of the Year Award
Ann-Kathrin Kiehn, St Columba Anglican School. Winner – Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year Award
Shannon Kelly, The Nature School. Highly Commended – Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year Award
Belltrees Public School. Winner – Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year Award
Rose Everingham, Regentville Public School. Winner – Return and Earn Program Leader Award
Rebecca Hoad, St Ignatius College, Riverview. Highly Commended – Return and Earn Program Leader Award
Greening the Green. Winner – Sustainability Connect Business of the Year Award
ReCollect. Highly Commended – Sustainability Connect Business of the Year Award
To celebrate the 2021 Award winners, we held an online event on 18th November 2021. Our wonderful patron Costa Georgiadis, joined us to celebrate the nominees and award winners. You can watch the recording of the awards night here and find out more about our award winners below.
We celebrated the overall NSW Environmental Educator of the Year Award at the 35th Environmental Education Conference held in Ourimbah in April 2022. We were very pleased that several of our 2021 award winners were there to celebrate again in person.
Award Winners & Highly Commended Nominees
Lisa Siegel. Winner – NSW Environmental Educator of the Year Award
OzHarvest FEAST Program NSW. Winner – Sustainability Connect Business of the Year Award
Seed Harvest Spoon. Highly Commended – Sustainability Connect Business of the Year Award
Jayne Alba, Oxley Park Public School. Winner – Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year Award
Nicole Hext, Bringelly Public School. Highly Commended – Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year Award
Aldavilla Public School. Winner – Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year Award
Caddies Creek Public School. Highly Commended – Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year Award
Sami Bayly, Illustrator and author. Highly Commended – Community Educator of the Year Award
Lisa Siegel, Centre for Ecological Learning. Winner – Community Educator of the Year Award
Jane Smith, Central Coast Environmental Educators Network. Winner – Community Educator of the Year Award
Liana Kay, Sydney Olympic Park Authority. Winner – Government Educator of the Year Award
Jordan Moy, North Sydney Council. Highly Commended – Government Educator of the Year Award
Lisa Siegel, Southern Cross University. Winner – Tertiary Educator of the Year Award
Simone Blom, Southern Cross University. Highly Commended – Tertiary Educator of the Year Award
Congratulations to our 2020 Award Winners!
A celebratory online event was held on 5 November to announce the winners of the 2020 NSW Environmental Education Awards. AAEE NSW Patron, Costa Georgiadis and The Hon. Matt Kean MP, Minister for Energy and Environment lent their support to the event.
Professor Lesley Hughes, Macquarie University. Winner – Tertiary Educator of the Year Award and Overall 2020 NSW Environmental Educator of the Year Award
Ashleigh Spillane, Bradman Road Early Education Centre. Winner – Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award
Guido Verbist, The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre. Winner – Community Educator of the Year Award
Julia Strykowski, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Winner – Government Educator of the Year Award
Christopher Yates, Ryde Secondary College. Winner – Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year Award
Julie Rogers, Lucas Heights Community School. Winner – Return and Earn Program Leader Award
Dapto High School. Winner – Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year Award
Seaforth Public School, Garden Frog Pond Project. Winner – Take Me Outside NSW Excellence Award
Award Winners
Congratulations to our 2019 NSW Environmental Educator of the Year Award winners!
- Jenny Hill, Blue Mountains City Council, was the winner of the Government education category and overall winner for 2019!
- David Giblin, Chifley College Bidwill Campus, was the winner of the Formal education category; and
- Lisa Wriley, Kariong Eco Garden, was the winner of the Community education category.
2023- Julia Barnes
2022 – Sarah Jantos
2021 – Lisa Siegel
2020 – Professor Lesley Hughes
2019 – Jenny Hill
2018 – Nikki Dixon
2017 – Nick Carson
2016 Owen Dunlop
2015 Judy Christie
2014 Jem Hansen
2013 Susan Mayo
2012 Phil Smith
2011 Nell Graham
2010 Rosemary Hadaway
2009 Grahame Collier
2008 Syd Smith
2007 Helen Tyas Tunggal
2006 Helen Scott
2004 Bill Dixon
2002 Stuart DeLandre
2001-2 Cameron Archer and Colin Mondy
2000 No Award (due to dissolution of the AAEE State Executive)
1999 Christine Prietto
1998 Sue and Col Lennox
1997 Alan Fox
1996 David Goldney
1994 Joan Webb
1993 Max Maddock
1992 Beryl Strom
1991 Ken Schaefer
1990 Carolyn Pettigrew
1989 Geoff Young
1988 Neil Dufty
1987 Kevin McDonald
1986 Peter Metcalfe
1985 Di Collins
1984 Jack Sinclair
1983 Brian Gilligan
1982 David Tribe
1981 Allen Strom