A year later, the Petoskey Prize is an award that keeps on giving for a land conservancy

In Michigan’s environmental movement some of the most impactful leaders aren’t staffers or public figures. They’re volunteers—people who give their time, talent and heart to causes they believe in.

That’s what makes the Petoskey Prize for Environmental Leadership so meaningful. Awarded annually by the Michigan Environmental Council, the prize honors a grassroots volunteer whose environmental leadership stands out for its commitment, creativity and courage. The winner receives statewide recognition and their nominating organization receives a $5,000 gift to help further its mission.

In 2024 that award went to Sandy Sorini Elser, a longtime volunteer attorney for Legacy Land Conservancy, which is based in southeast Michigan. For Legacy, the Petoskey Prize not only honored Sandy’s work, but also shined a spotlight on the role of volunteer. bringing broader recognition of the organization’s efforts to preserve the region’s natural resources.

“It meant a lot to our organization,” said Diana Kern, executive director of Legacy. “It allowed people to understand the important role Legacy plays in southeast Michigan for land protection. Sometimes this region doesn’t always get the same attention when it comes to land trust work.”

Legacy Land Conservancy is Michigan’s first local land trust, founded over 50 years ago. It protects forests, farms, wetlands and open spaces through conservation easements with willing landowners and through the management of public nature preserves. Sandy has played a central role in making that work possible by serving as invaluable legal counsel with decades of experience handling the complexities of property law, ensuring that easements are created to support the needs of land owners and future generations.

Kern said the visibility from the award extended statewide and beyond, including a highlight by the national Land Trust Alliance. It may have even helped spark further interest in volunteer engagement as well. “I can’t say for sure if it’s the reason we saw more people signing up to help, but we did have an increase in the number of our volunteers,” she said. “It definitely allowed us to celebrate our volunteers in a more meaningful way.”

The $5,000 award was used to support Legacy’s volunteer work—especially important as they continue to grow. In the coming year, Legacy plans to open a new nature preserve in Jackson County, move forward with a large federal farmland protection award, and continue closing easements across its service area. Volunteers remain a vital part of that work.

That’s something Kern believes the broader public should keep in mind. “At a time when environmental funding is under constant threat, when we’re seeing things like AmeriCorps positions being eliminated, volunteers have never been more important,” she said. “This prize doesn’t just recognize one individual—it shows the public how much of this work depends on people who give their time and expertise without expecting anything in return.”

For Legacy and many other groups across Michigan, volunteers are the engine behind lasting environmental change. Recognizing them, Kern said, is a step toward ensuring their work is not only celebrated—but supported.