Washington, DC – A volunteer with the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Gordon Bennett of Muir Beach, California, is being honored with the first ever ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Award by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the federally managed National Marine Sanctuary Program.

Since Bennett began volunteering for the Sanctuary in 1993, he has dedicated an astounding 2,000 hours to monitoring beaches, responding to oil spills, and investigating the impact of natural and manmade events on wildlife. In addition, Bennett provided valuable input on the Sanctuary’s first visitor’s center and was instrumental in creating education programs to help alleviate the effects of watercraft on the harbor seal.

"Gordon Bennett has distinguished himself among the Beach Watch Volunteers, a highly trained cadre of Sanctuary citizen scientists who make direct and meaningful contributions to the health of our oceans planet,” said Maria Brown, the Sanctuary’s Manager. “In addition to the tremendous number of hours he puts in, he has kept us on our toes, vigilantly monitoring the Sanctuary’s policies and actions. The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Nation are all fortunate to have Gordon Bennett as a steward of our marine environment.”

Bennett said the Award flatters him but his greatest wish is that it results in more attention for the National Marine Sanctuaries and the other volunteers. “The Sanctuaries need stronger support in Congress for their budgets and their boundaries,” said Bennett. “That support is more likely if we can continue to educate the public about the incredible natural and cultural treasures these Sanctuaries protect, and certainly one of the best ways to educate and engage citizens is through well-planned volunteer programs.”

Bennett and a volunteer from Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary will receive their ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Awards at a gala dinner Tuesday, June 10th in Washington, D.C. The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is also presenting its first annual Leadership Awards that evening to U.S. Senator Ernest Hollings (SC) and U.S. Representative Jim Saxton (NJ) for their roles in introducing the Oceans Act of 2000.

“The Foundation is delighted to honor these volunteers and Members of Congress, whose enthusiasm and diligence have contributed so much to our National Marine Sanctuary Program and to ocean preservation in general,” said Lori Arguelles, the Foundation’s Executive Director.
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Leadership Awards Dinner will also feature renowned ocean explorers and Foundation Trustees Jean-Michel Cousteau and Dr. Robert Ballard, who will present the Awards, as well as Actress Lauren Hutton, an avid diver, who will serve as Master of Ceremonies. This event kicks off Capitol Hill Oceans Week, a two-day symposium on Capitol Hill, June 11-12.

Now in its third year, the symposium, also co-hosted by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, has established itself as one of the most important events of the year for exchanging knowledge and ideas about ocean issues and policies. “Capitol Hill Oceans Week is intended to build bridges among the various ocean constituents, as well as to place ocean issues prominently before our nation’s leaders,” said Lori Arguelles, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “It is our intention to facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge and ultimately to make progress in areas of common ground.”

This year, representatives from government, private industry, nonprofits, and academia will focus on the latest discoveries and the future of ‘Ocean Exploration’ (Wednesday, June 11) and the challenges and solutions to ‘Managing Marine Areas’ (Thursday, June 12). Each panel discussion will begin with an overview from a Member of Congress. Congressional co-hosts of CHOW 2003 include the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the House Committee on Resources, the House Committee on Science, and the House Oceans Caucus.