Now Accepting Nominations!
Save the Dunes is currently accepting nominations for our environmental awardees for the Paul H. Douglas Memorial Award and the Dorothy Buell Youth Environmental Award. Our organization bestows these two awards annually on individuals or groups during our annual membership meeting, taking place this year on December 2.
If you have individuals or groups in mind for either award in 2026, we encourage you to submit a formal nomination below.
Paul H. Douglas
Memorial Award
Each year, Save the Dunes bestows our highest honor, the Paul H. Douglas Memorial Award, for outstanding service to the cause of preserving and protecting the Indiana dunes.
The Douglas Award is named for Illinois Senator Paul Douglas, who worked to establish the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore despite bitter opposition from the steel industry, Indiana businesses, and elected officials.
Past Honorees
2025 Christopher Pergiel
2024 Indra Frank, MD, MPH
2023 Jeffery B. Hyman, J.D., Ph.D.
2022 Paul Labovitz
2021 Kim Swift
2020 Shannon Eason
2019 The Honorable Peter Visclosky
2018 Nancy Moldenhauer
2017 Steve Sass
2016 Erin Argyilan, Ph.D.
2015 Paul Labus
2014 Barbara Plampin
2013 Dr. Noel Pavlovic
2012 Irene Herlocker-Meyer, Harold Olin
2011 Charles E. Oberlie
2010 Larry Davis
2009 Susan MiHalo
2008 Dale Engquist
2007 Marjory Wood Crawford
2006 Jeanette Neagu
2005 Dr. Mark MiHalo
2004 Dr. Mark Reshkin
2003 Congressman Peter Visclosky
2002 Charlotte Read
2001 Ellen Firme, Dorothy Potucek
2000 Carolyn Bach
1999 Thomas Serynek
1998 Lee Botts, Jean Segal
1997 Thomas Dustin
1996 Anne Bayless
1995 Miriam Buhman
1994 Edward Osann, Sylvia Troy, Herb Read
1993 Sidney Yates
1992 Faith Greiner
1991 Ruth Osann
Dorothy Buell Youth Environmental
Award
Each year, Save the Dunes awards the Dorothy Buell Youth Environmental Award in recognition of an individual or group between the ages of 13 to 24 who have shown outstanding stewardship toward the environment within the Lake Michigan watershed.
Before she was saving the dunes, our founder, Dorothy Buell, served as an English teacher at Gary Public High School. In honor of her devotion to youth, we give this award in Dorothy's name to recognize young people in our region who are going above and beyond for our environment.
Past Honorees
2021 Boy Scout Troop 65, Hobart
2020 Ethyl Ruehman & Danielle Sipp
2019 Michigan City High School Environmental Restoration Team
