A champagne toast celebrated the environmental efforts of 14 people and groups in the Yampa Valley during the annual Sustainability Awards Ceremony Wednesday evening in Steamboat Springs.

The January awards presented by the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council to honor work during 2024 included Lifetime Achievement honors for three respected, longtime leaders in the regional environmental and sustainability realm.

Lifetime Achievement award-winner Ric Ondrejka retired last year after 40 years with the U.S. Forest Service in Jackson and Routt counties. Throughout his career, Ondrejka worked in timber stand improvement and inventory as well as a reforestation forester, silviculturist and district timber program manager.

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“It is very rewarding to see an old decadent timber stand transformed into a vibrant new forest,” Ondrejka said of his decades of forestry work. “As young stands tend to be more resistant to fire damage, it’s great to see a fire skirt around a regenerated harvest I created.”

Winnie DelliQuadri, who retired in December as Steamboat Springs special projects and intergovernmental services manager, received a Lifetime Achievement recognition after 25 years of supporting sustainability efforts at the city.

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DelliQuadri was a key player in many city sustainability efforts ranging from recycling ordinances to the electric vehicle readiness plan, from grant funding for solar installations to the Routt County Climate Action Plan.

“Everyone in this room has had a role to play in the city of Steamboat Springs deciding to do sustainability-related work and putting money into it,” DelliQuadri said Wednesday. “I am honored that I was in the right position at the right time to be able to manage a lot of projects that did such lovely sustainability work.”

Steamboat Springs resident Michele Meyer, now the senior program manager for the new markets division at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, was honored for her 14 years of work for the nonprofit Community Agriculture Alliance. Meyer was dedicated to connecting Yampa Valley communities to local agriculture through support and development of food and water programs while emphasizing sustainability.

Meyer helped initiate the Northwest Colorado Food Coalition that identified gaps and developed a community response plan to build a resilient local food system. In 2018, Michele took over the helm at agriculture alliance and developed the local foods program and retail store.

A 25-year Steamboat Springs resident and upbeat environmental volunteer, Catherine Carson was named the 2024 Shining Star for being a consistent advocate for climate action and being dedicated to civic engagement. Carson was a founding member of Yampa Valley Recycles and has been active in a variety of environmental projects and nonprofit organization boards.

Steamboat Springs High School environmental science, biology, botany and zoology teacher Bennett Colvin was named 2024 Educator of the Year for spreading his contagious passion for biology and environmental science. Students say Colvin consistently demonstrates a commitment to fostering environmental stewardship and sustainability both in and outside the classroom.

Through guest speakers, lectures, lab activities and hands-on projects, Colvin has thoroughly integrated sustainability into his classroom, inspiring students and helping them connect classroom learning with real-world applications, according to award presenter and SSHS student Emma Hack.

Student Shea Speer noted, “Whether it be by leading student trips to Belize to study marine biology, starting an aquaponics system in the classroom or sponsoring the SSHS Eco Club, he has worked diligently to introduce students to the wonders of environmental science and biology.”

The nonprofit Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council received the 2024 Sustainable Community Leader award to recognize its work to create resilient fire-adapted communities to minimize the potential impacts of wildfire. The council has helped community members with fire-safe programs such as a tree chipping, promotion of Firewise-designated communities, creation of a Wildfire Ambassador program and launch of a residential rebate program to help homeowners reduce wildfire risk. 

The Routt County Planning Department received the Sustainable Government Leadership award for leading by example by finalizing the new Unified Development Code. The code includes sustainability and climate action measures related to development densities and landscaping, setbacks from waterbodies and wetlands for new construction, open space protections, house size limits and large solar array stipulations.

The Environmental Cairn award was presented to the Yampa River Scorecard Project for creating a science-based river health monitoring program that will serve as a foundation for restoration, management and stakeholder engagement throughout the Yampa River Basin.

The council honored Summit County-based Energy Smart Colorado with the Partner of the Year award for its decade of work helping to increase energy efficiency and utility bill savings for low-income households in the Yampa Valley through energy assessments and in-home efficiency improvements.

Nelly Navarro accepted the Yampa Valley Connector award — via a cellphone video connection from Lima, Peru — which honors individuals who strengthen connections and collaborations throughout the Yampa Valley. The former executive director of Integrated Community, Navarro helped build programs that better connect immigrant community members including with climate equity initiatives.

Steamboat Springs-headquartered adventure travel outfitters Eagle Creek received the Sustainable Business award for advancing sustainability through their products and processes. The company efforts range from reducing fabric waste to creating durable products with a lifetime warranty to eliminating harmful forever chemicals in their supply chain.

Steamboat Springs resident Si Axtell was named 2024 Volunteer of the Year for his exemplary dedication to hands-on climate action work through the Yampa Valley Climate Crew and ReTree programs. Axtell has helped with wet meadow restoration and post-wildfire regeneration surveys and as a Firewise Ambassador.

The Waste Diversion Award went to UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center for efforts spanning several hospital departments for such work as composting, removal of single-use plastic water bottles, diversion of polypropylene plastic wrap, reusable metal caskets to hold sterilized equipment and a switch to less polluting anesthesia gases. Steamboat Resort Sustainability Coordinator Benjamin Cavarra was presented the Rising Leader Award for his commitment to local climate action and advancing sustainable business practices.