Congratulations to Jeff MacKenzie, environmental science teacher at Whitmer High School, the recipient of our 2022 Annual Environmental Stewardship and Involvement Award! Mr. MacKenzie is a community-minded consummate educator and has been a CYS group leader since 2002. We’re proud to share some highlights from all the great work Mr. MacKenzie has done across our region.

Mr. Jeff MacKenzie has been a teacher with Washington Local schools since 1998. In 2009, he was named the Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District Educator of the Year. During his time at Whitmer, Jeff also worked part time for 13 years as a naturalist and interpretive guide at Metroparks Toledo. Currently, Jeff also works part time for the Toledo Zoo, where he has been employed for the past 12 years. At the Zoo he works at overnight programs for scouts and other groups, as well as animal handling demos and behind the scene tours.

Jeff is working with the Toledo Zoo’s Project Prairie to install prairies at Whitmer High School (the first high school to collaborate on this project) as well as ALL of the elementary schools in Washington Local Schools. Jeff will be working this summer to develop high school curriculum not only for his use at Whitmer, but also for other high schools to use as they become a part of Project Prairie in the future.

Jeff has been a Clean Your Streams group leader since 2002, participating in countless CYS Day and CYS 365 clean-ups. He began bringing students to CYS as an FFA advisor while teaching an environmental systems career class, and continued as the advisor to the Whitmer Science and Environmental Club.  Over the years, Jeff’s students consistently place in CYS Youth Challenge Competitions.

It’s a common occurrence to run into Jeff with a group of his students at a broad range of environmental events and programs throughout the community, including tree plantings, Envirothon competitions, keynotes by environmental leaders, and film screenings.

Over the years, Jeff has displayed incredible willingness to support Partners for Clean Streams in whatever way we ask: trying out new equipment or a new app or being available with his students for a National Geographic photographer or documentary videographer, and much more.

It is with great pride that we recognize and congratulate Jeff MacKenzie.