A first: Audubon To Jointly Award New Environmental prize and Audubon Medal Jan. 17

For the first time, the National Audubon Society will award two of the nation’s most prestigious environmental honors on the same night: the inaugural Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership and the Audubon Medal. George Archibald, founder of the International Crane Foundation, will receive the first Lufkin Prize and its $100,000 award, and philanthropist Louis Bacon will receive the esteemed Audubon Medal on Jan. 17 in New York.

Bacon will be only the 52nd recipient of the Audubon Medal in 108 years. Previous Audubon Medal winners include conservation leaders from Rachel Carson to Ted Turner, President Jimmy Carter and the Rockefeller family.

The Lufkin award carries a $100,000 prize for lifetime conservation achievement, making it among the richest environmental awards in the world.

“The Lufkin Prize is all about innovation and risk taking, qualities the non-profit world needs to celebrate,” said Audubon President and CEO David Yarnold. “The Audubon Medal and the Lufkin Prize celebrate men of compassion and courage, and it’s pretty remarkable to be able to honor both of these leaders at one event.”

“This is what the new Audubon looks like,” said Dan W. Lufkin. “Audubon is a century old, but it’s firing on all cylinders. And George Archibald, one of my heroes, is the best first recipient that I could imagine.”

The Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership is a new award administered by the National Audubon Society. The award recognizes Dan W. Lufkin’s lifetime commitment to the environment and honors individuals who have dedicated their lives to on-the-ground conservation work.

After founding the investment bank Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Dan W. Lufkin established and headed Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection and was one of the founders of Earth Day. He has supported and served on the boards of many of the country’s most prominent environmental organizations, and he has given and raised nearly $10 million dollars for the National Audubon Society.

To honor his lifelong commitment to conservation, Dan’s family and friends partnered with Audubon to establish the Lufkin Prize.

The Audubon Medal is given in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of conservation and environmental protection. Established in 1947, the medal is one of the highest honors in conservation.