The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership will accept nominations for the third annual Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Award, given for conservation work in environmental justice communities in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection considers any census block group where 20% or more individuals live in poverty or 30% or more of the population identifies as a minority to be in an environmental justice area.

The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, coordinated by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, will present the award during the Pennsylvania Forestry Association's annual symposium on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Toftrees resort in State College. The winner will receive $5,000 worth of native trees and supplies from the partnership to be used for a 2023 tree project.

The award was created to honor the spirit of Mira Lloyd Dock, who pursued urban beautification and forest conservation at a time when women or people of color were not welcomed at the decision table. Dock is recognized as the first Pennsylvania woman to lead the way in forest conservation. She was an advocate for Penn's Woods and in 1901 was appointed to the State Forest Reservation Commission by Pennsylvania Gov. William Stone.

Nominations are open to anyone in Pennsylvania who has done tree planting, rain garden installation or planting, regenerative agriculture or urban farming/permaculture, or community beautification in an environmental justice community. Awardees are ranked on their community engagement, collaboration, and environmental conservation work with environmental justice communities in support of planting 10 million trees for Pennsylvania. Awardees are given credit for using science, research, innovative, and creative approaches to conservation.

For a nomination form, visit https://tenmilliontrees.org/contact/mld/. Forms are also available by contacting keystonetrees@cbf.org or 717-769-4141. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Sept. 30.