Genesee RiverWatch has recognized its 2024 Elizabeth Thorndike Environmental Leadership Award recipients – Letchworth State Park, Peter Lent and S. Ram Shrivastava. The awards are given to individuals, organizations, projects or events in recognition of significant contributions to our mission of “championing solutions that improve the water quality of the Genesee and initiatives that connect people to the River”. The awards are given in honor of Elizabeth Thorndike, longtime supporter of Genesee RiverWatch and one of the founders of its predecessor organization, the Center for Environmental Information.

Award winners have demonstrated success in (1) improving the water quality of the Genesee River Basin; (2) creating environmental, recreational, and economic assets for their communities; and/or (3) connecting people to the river by encouraging them to explore, experience, and celebrate the river.

A separate category of the awards recognizes volunteers whose work on behalf of Genesee RiverWatch has significantly aided us in furthering our Mission.

Letchworth State Park

Founded as the result of a 1906 gift by William Pryor Letchworth, Letchworth State Park is now the custodian of a 14,000 acre, 17 mile long stretch of the Genesee River that contains three of the Genesee’s six magnificent waterfalls.Visitors can choose among 66 miles of hiking trails, some of which are available for horseback riding, biking, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing.  Letchworth also offers nature, history and performing arts programs, guided walks, tours, a summer lecture series, whitewater rafting, kayaking, a pool for swimming and hot air ballooning.

The Humphrey Nature Center offers year-round environmental education opportunities for school groups, scouts, youth organizations, and the general public. Programming and interactive exhibits highlight the geology, wildlife, and ecology of the park.The new Autism Nature Trail (A.N.T.) provides a safe and inclusive area for individuals with autism or other related disabilities. This accessible mile long trail hosts eight different sensory stations for individuals and families to experience and explore nature.

In addition to its direct delivery of environmental, recreational, and educational services that focus on the Genesee and its surroundings, Letchworth State Park is an economic resource for the entire region.  Twice voted Best State Park in the US by the USA Today Readers Poll, Letchworth attracted over 975,000 visitors in 2023.

Renee Wickman
Environmental Stewardship Specialist received the award on behalf of NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Peter Lent

New York State and two Genesee River Basin organizations devoted to improving our region’s water quality have been the lucky recipients of Pete Lent’s knowledge and experience.An expert in biomonitoring of water quality, Pete retired from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 2010 after a 26 year career, culminating in service as the Region 8 Permit Administrator.

In 2012, Pete joined the Board of Directors of the Center for Environmental Initiatives – now Genesee RiverWatch.  He was a key member of the Board group that developed the Genesee RiverWatch initiative and launched it at the first Basin Summit in 2014.  Over the past 10 years, Pete has been a valued member of the RiverWatch Operations and Technical committees and has served several terms as chairman of the Board Nominating Committee.  He has been involved with all our major riverbank stabilization projects, organized volunteers for planting events, and helped lead the volunteer team collecting turbidity and orthophosphate data from the Genesee and its tributaries.

Pete also volunteers with the Oatka Creek Watershed Committee (OCWC) and has been its chairman since 2012. He has guided the Committee’s work which includes educational outreach, both at community events (e.g., tree planting and festivals) and presentations to municipal boards. He provides information on areas of concern and the status of water resources in the watershed and helps implement the recommendations and strategies found in the Oatka Creek Watershed Management Plan.

Pete’s willingness to offer his knowledge and skills for the benefit of the Genesee Region makes him an example to the community and a deserving recipient of the Thorndike Award.

S. Ram Shrivastava

Ram is one of the trail blazers of the Finger Lakes environmental movement and a true leader of this community in all his activities.  As President and CEO of Larsen Engineers for 55 years, he has built a respected firm focused on Renewable Energy and Sustainable Green Design.  As a board member of the Friends of the GardenAerial, he helps guide its work on revitalization of the High Falls area and its Green Visions workforce development initiative.  As a board member of the India Community Center for 12 years, he chaired the Building Committee that established the current ICC facility.  As a member of the Brighton Rotary Club and President in 2021-22, he helped shepherd the organization through the difficult COVID years.

The Center for Environmental Initiatives and Genesee RiverWatch have been the beneficiaries of this experience and Ram’s wise counsel for over 31 years – the longest tenure of any board member in our history!  Ram served as President of the Board for five years from 2002 to 2006.  In the deliberations resulting in the launch of the Genesee RiverWatch Initiative, Ram supported this new direction while keeping the Board focused on the key values that made CEI successful, including collaboration and a focus on science as the touchstone for all our work.  As RiverWatch has grown, he has continued to keep the Board aware of the opportunities for environmental improvement in the communities along the river, including the growth of rural solar power and the need to reduce heat islands in river-adjacent communities.  In addition, while it appears prosaic, Ram has made our cost-efficient “virtual” form of organization possible by freely providing the critical resource of a physical location for mail and storage of the materials used in field work and community outreach.

As a life-long contributor to the environmental improvement of western New York and to the success of CEI and Genesee RiverWatch, Ram Shrivastava is a perfect example of the spirit behind the Thorndike Environmental Leadership Award.