Meet the Honorees

The PlantFest Committee

For over 40 years, the PlantFest Committee has defined the power of community at Teatown. “PlantFest” is an event that the committee creates, curates, and improves each year. It is fueled by their tremendous energy, creativity, and passion. They have generously shared their love of plants and gardening with the tens of thousands of people who have come to the event at Teatown over the years. All the proceeds from the PlantFest go to support Teatown’s education programs and the care of our 1,000-acre preserve. And while the location of the event at Teatown has migrated from place to place, the constant and essential ingredient is this amazing group of people: Mary Anne Benedetto, Holly Von Bernuth, Celia Carroll, Kristina Lindbergh, Rudy Fasciani, and Holly Ross  — our heartfelt thanks to you.

IBM Research

IBM Research’s presence in the neighborhood for over half a century has been instrumental in Teatown’s growth. First and foremost, they are a beacon for innovation, invention, and creativity. IBM Researchers have long nourished Teatown’s community, serving as board members, advisors, and supporters from the very beginning. IBM Research families have sent their kids to Teatown’s Natural Science Summer Camp from the ’70s to the present day. They have frequently offered their facility for our use, provided gently used furniture for our staff offices, and created a matching gift program which for decades has enabled their employees to double the impact of their donations to Teatown. Recently they invited the Teatown Environmental Science Academy’s class of 2019 to visit IBM Research’s Watson Laboratory to get an up-close look at industrial scientists in action. We are proud to honor their tradition of excellence and service.

Pace University

Pace University’s faculty and leadership understand the importance of experiential, hands-on learning — which is what Teatown is all about. Their support of innovative community partnerships has allowed us to form a mutually enriching relationship that, over the last five years, has brought 21 Pace interns in Environmental Science and Studies, Environmental Policy, Environmental Law, and Media Arts to work on significant projects at Teatown. These students have simultaneously learned and served their communities. As a result, Teatown has grown in our capacity to achieve our mission of inspiring our community to lifelong environmental stewardship. With the help of Pace faculty and students, we have undertaken meaningful stewardship projects on our 1,000-acre preserve, co-hosted field courses on natural history and science and public forums on sustainability, run an award-winning summer environmental science academy, deepened the impact of our EagleFest, and created a series of student-produced short films. Even now Pace Law interns are helping Teatown achieve the milestone of becoming an accredited land trust.

New York Life Insurance Company

New York Life has been a stellar partner to Teatown and has given us many thousands of hours of invaluable volunteer service in the past two decades. Their participation in Teatown’s annual community events such as EagleFest, PlantFest, and our Pancake Brunch has been essential to making these gatherings fun, educational, and inspiring. Their volunteers show tremendous loyalty, dedication, and community spirit, and many individuals serve year after year so they have a rich knowledge and appreciation of Teatown and its mission. We are eternally grateful for their service and support.

Phelps Hospital Northwell Health

We are honored to have Phelps Hospital Northwell Health as a partner to Teatown. Because they are at the epicenter of the health and well-being of Westchester County, they are a great ally in sharing the human health benefits of spending physically active time outdoors at places like Teatown. We are deeply appreciative for Daniel Blum’s visionary leadership of Phelps, their support of EagleFest, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration and partnership.