District announces Conservation Teacher of the Year!

Dr. Scott Sowell, center, being recognized at the 2018 Jacksonville Environmental Symposium

In 2018, the Duval Soil & Water Conservation District launched its Conservation Teacher of the Year award. This award recognizes the work of any K-12 teacher in Duval County who has been involved in both education and action during the past year. The ideal candidate is a principled conservationist who educates students on natural resource conservation practices and initiates student action in their community or school in order to improve quality of life for Duval County residents.  All Duval County teachers who have participated in one of the District’s programs during the last year will be considered for recognition as our Conservation Teacher of the Year.

In 2018, the District has excitedly chosen Dr. Scott Sowell for our inaugural award!

Dr. Scott P. Sowell is an Environmental Science Teacher at Darnell-Cookman Middle/High School here in Duval County.  Over the past 17 years, Dr. Sowell has demonstrated leadership, professionalism, and commitment to protecting the environment by helping young people understand and gain a deep appreciation for our natural resources. His innovative teaching methods and his love for helping students to learn about how things work in nature has earned him recognition among his peers and in the community.

In 2012, Dr. Sowell was named Florida Blue Teacher of the Year. He places the experience before the lecture so that his students create their own learning by exploring real-life scientific situations.  In 2016 Dr. Sowell worked with a small team of students who took First Place in the Annual Fred B. Miller Envirothon hosted by the Duval Soil & Water Conservation District. In 2017, Dr. Sowell was named "Educator of the Year" from St. Johns Riverkeeper for his work in algae eutrophication experiments with his AP Environmental Science students. 

Along with being named the “2018 Conservation Teacher of the Year”, we also nominated Dr. Sowell for the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board's Individual Environmental Achievement award, which he also won. Congratulations to Dr. Sowell, and thank you for your dedication to the environment through education. 

To learn more about our Conservation Teacher of the Year award, click HERE.