Our own Jane Hepting was named Lake County Environmentalist of the Year at an award ceremony at Trout Lake Nature Center on December 11.  Congratulations, Jane, on this well deserved award.  Jane is a very active member of UUCLC’s Social Justice and Environment Committee and the Social Committee.   The photo shows Jane receiving her award from Lavon Silvernell.

Jane has a long history of volunteerism for numerous charities in Lake County, including the Boys and Girls Clubs, Trout Lake Nature Center, and Habitat for Humanity.  In recent years she has served as Chair of the NAACP Environment Committee and was a major force in the resurrection of the Lake County Conservation Council.

Jane’s crowning conservation achievement in 2022 was having the idea to bring together over twenty conservation organizations, and then making it happen in a sellout Conservation Symposium held at Trout Lake on April 30.  The event was a big success and resulted in plans for more joint work between the various conservation organizations who participated.

Jane is now chairing the committee for a much bigger conservation event, the EcoExpo to be held on March 4, 2023, in partnership with Lake/Sumter State College on their Leesburg campus.  This event will be open to the public and will feature informative workshops on environmental topics, many interesting displays, nature walks, and other conservation-related activities.  Several UUCLC people are working with Jane on this project, and we will be at EcoExpo with a display, a workshop on energy conservation, and a conservation activity.

Congratulations, Jane.    We are so proud of you and your accomplishments!