The Sornborger Citizen Conservation Award was established in 2020 to recognize individuals who have demonstrated long-term and substantive efforts to promote education and actions for the conservation of Diamondback terrapins. The award was named after the inaugural recipient, Charlotte Sornborger. Any DTWG member may submit a recommendation for an award recipient to be considered by the DTWG board.
Steve Barry is the recipient of the 2022 award. Steve is retired from the Anne Arundel County Public School System in Maryland. Steve initiated the Terrapin Connection program, an education and research collaboration that ultimately evolved into the TERP (Terrapin Education and Research Partnership) Program for Maryland Public Schools. Steve started Terrapin Connection as a program that would have a conservation science mission that would complement education and outreach. He initiated “Inservice Programs” in which the teachers learned how to have their students care for and measure the terrapins and follow the scientific progress of the study. Steve made the Terrapin Connection part of the environmental literacy curriculum at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center and terrapins are now placed in more than 120 classrooms throughout Maryland provided students with a unique experiential learning opportunity. The TERP program is now a model for similar programs in turtle conservation around the US and internationally.