AUDUBON SOCIETY WOMEN IN CONSERVATION LUNCHEON

NEW YORK - MAY 29: THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY 10th ANNIVERSARY WOMEN IN CONSERVATION LUNCHEON Presenting the 2013 RACHEL CARSON AWARDS on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at The Plaza Hotel, New York City, NY The National Audubon Society Honored Marian S. Heiskell and Lady Bird Johnson at the 10th Anniversary Women in Conservation Luncheon Presenting the 2013 Rachel Carson Awards. NBC News Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent Anne Thompson served as Emcee with a Special Address by the Official Historian of CBS News, Douglas Brinkley. WHO: Marian Heiskell, philanthropist and conservationist; Lynda Johnson Robb; Douglas Brinkley, official historian of CBS News; Anne Thompson, chief environmental affairs correspondent for NBC News; Jane Alexander, actress and conservationist, Alexis Maybank, founder of Gilt Group, Inc., Allison Rockefeller, Founding Chair of Women in Conservation Luncheon, Beth Stevens, senior vice president of Environmental Affairs at Disney World Wide Services; Fernanda Kellogg, president of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation; Sally Jewell, United States Secretary of the Interior; Liz Titus Putnam, president & founder of the Student Conservation Association; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); Majora Carter, Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable South Bronx; Laurie David, Global Warming Activist; Margie Ruddick, environmental designer; Bernadette Castro, former commissioner of New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Margaret Wittenberg, VP of global communications and quality standards, Whole Foods Market; Jayni Chase, Environmental Activist and Philanthropist; Lynn Chase, wildlife artist & philanthropist; Maria Rodale, Chairman, Rodale Publishing; Peggy Shepard, Executive Director, West Harlem Environmental Action Inc. WHAT: The National Audubon Society honored two exceptional female conservationists for their environmental leadership in the spirit of the event’s namesake and founder of the modern environmental movement, Rachel Carson. Anne Thompson serve as the event’s Master of Ceremonies and help present Marian Heiskell with the Inaugural Rachel Carson Lifetime Achievement Award. The event also featured a Special Memorial Tribute to Lady Bird Johnson to be accepted by her daughter, Lynda Johnson Robb. Awardees received a gold cameo necklace, custom-designed by Tiffany and Co. in honor of the event. Almost 20 past awardees gathered on stage to receive a silver version of the necklace, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Rachel Carson Awards. The luncheon at The Plaza Hotel was the first full vegetarian menu for this event. Great Performances, whose owner Liz Neumark serves on the Audubon Women in Conservation Council, catered using organic, locally grown vegetables, herbs and fruits. The National Audubon Society mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. For more than a century, the Audubon Society has built a legacy of conservation success by mobilizing the strength of its network of members, 465 Audubon Chapters, 50 Audubon Centers, state offices and dedicated professional staff to connect people with nature and the power to protect it. Audubon is building on its legacy to become a transformative force for conservation in the 21st century, bringing together a powerful combination of science, education and policy expertise in efforts ranging from protection and restoration of local habitats to the implementation of policies that safeguard birds, other wildlife and the resources that sustain us all—in the U.S. and across the Americas. The Audubon Society is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information or to become a member, please visit http://www.audubon.org/ PHOTO CREDIT: Copyright © 2013 Natalie Poette exclusively for ManhattanSociety.com | tel: Private | e-mail: Private | Bookings: bookings@manhattansociety.com | Natalie Poette is a talented independent artist and new contributor to ManhattanSociety.com. She is available for Private Bookings via bookings@manhattansociety.com for portraits, private and special events, without any agency fee or over ride. Hire Natalie for your private party of fundraiser and see your event featured here on ManhattanSociety.com.