Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society (OVAS) presented Lavon Silvernell of Astatula with the Conservationist of the Year award at their Holiday Luncheon on December 3rd. OVAS was founded in 1966 and has been a conservation advocate in Lake County for over 50 years. They presented their first Conservationist of the Year Award in 2008 to recognize someone who had significant conservation achievements in Lake County. Last year, Welton Cadwell, former Lake County Commissioner, received the award, recognizing him for a “Lifetime of Conservation”.
Ms. Silvernell has been a tireless advocate for conservation in Lake County and is currently 1st Vice President of OVAS , a member of Lake County’s Keep Lake Beautiful Committee, and Vice President of Beautyberry Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS). She was awarded the FNPS Green Palmetto Award in 2011. She was also the Naturalist and Administrative Director at the Trout Lake Nature Center from 2002 until her retirement in 2014. Now she plans and presents programs and nature walks for various groups in the community and she is a naturalist/consultant for Green Isle Gardens Native Plant Nursery in Groveland. Whether she is planning, presenting, or consulting she makes programs entertaining and educational with a message about the inter-connections in nature that benefit us all.
OVAS meets at 2:00 pm on the first Sunday of each month at Trout Lake Nature Center in Eustis. The public is encouraged to participate in the monthly programs and field trips. Follow OVAS on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Oklawaha-Valley-Audubon-Society-457310451273756/ or on their website at https://oklawaha-valley-audubon.org/
