First-ever David Bouverie college scholarship awarded to local

Audubon Canyon Ranch, has awarded its first-ever Bouverie Scholarship to Sonoma resident Gerrit Van Sickle. Audubon Canyon Ranch is a leader in conservation science, habitat protection and restoration, and hands-on environmental education programs.

Gerrit, who has volunteered at the Bouverie Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch since fifth grade, graduated from Sonoma Valley High School this year. The $1,500 scholarship will help to support his pursuit of a college degree in environmental studies, beginning at Santa Rosa Junior College in Aug. 2010.

The David Bouverie Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Glen Ellen resident Phyllis Ellman, a longtime Audubon Canyon Ranch Board member and “founding mother” of the Bouverie Preserve Environmental Education Program, for which she served as a docent from 1980 until her death in July 2009. The scholarship fund provides academic scholarships to participants of the Bouverie Junior Naturalist Program who remain involved through high school and plan to pursue higher education in the biological sciences or environmental education.

“I can think of no more worthy young man than Gerrit to receive the first David Bouverie Scholarship,” said Jeanne Wirka, resident biologist of the Bouverie Preserve. “He not only helped us with our nature walks and research projects, he also mentored and motivated younger students.”

Gerrit became a “Juniper” in fifth grade after completing a five-course training which provides students an in-depth look at the natural history of the Bouverie Preserve. Once training is completed, Junipers are invited to help lead the Bouverie Preserve’s Guided Nature Walks and pursue their own interests in nature through participation in field trips and resource management projects. Gerrit became especially interested in Stuart Creek, which flows through the Bouverie Preserve, leading to an ongoing research project on invasive crayfish. The crayfish project also became the subject of his senior project at Sonoma Valley High School.

Since graduating from high school, Gerrit has completed an environmental internship at Echo Hill Outdoor School in Maryland, where he served as instructional assistant and supervised students across a wide age range.
Before school begins in August, Gerrit also plans on participating in a Wildlands Studies program in New Zealand. There he will have the opportunity to accompany two biologists and other participants on research trips into the backcountry.