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06/30/2023 09:20 AM

The Essex Foundation Announces Environmental Studies Scholarship Award Recipient


Ivoryton resident Tabitha Hardgrove was presented with the 2023 Elizabeth Barnes Callender and Mary Francis Barnes Memorial Scholarship award grant from The Essex Foundation. Pictured are board members Strick Hyde and Bruce Glowac with Hardgrove and board members Jim Clark and Jay Tonks. Photo courtesy of The Essex Foundation

Press release from The Essex Foundation

The Essex Foundation board of directors has selected Tabitha Hardgrove of Ivoryton as the 2023 recipient of The Elizabeth Barnes Callender and Mary Francis Barnes Memorial Scholarship Award.

The $3,000 grant is presented to honor the bequest and memory of the late “Diz” Callender and her sister Mary. The grant is available each year to one local Valley Regional High School graduating senior or graduate, or an Essex resident who is pursuing studies related to land conservation and preservation at a two- or four-year college, a technical school, or graduate school, or is taking accredited courses in biology, botany, agronomy, ecology, horticulture, floriculture, forestry, landscape design, or environmental science.

Hardgrove will begin her senior year of studies in biology at Rochester Institute of Technology this fall and plans on pursuing a career in fish and wildlife services. She is local this summer, working as an intern for the Essex Land Trust to identify microhabitats and document her findings.

“We were impressed with the quantity and quality of this year’s applicants, but Tabitha’s passion for and work in the field of conservation really stood out,” said Bruce Glowac, president of The Essex Foundation. “Her spirit and community interests truly align with the values that Diz and Mary wanted to support.”

The Essex Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of Essex residents by providing funding for needs not met by other organizations or sources. The Foundation relies on donations from individuals, businesses, and other community groups to fund special community projects and needs that benefit Essex residents. For more information, visit www.theessexfoundation.org or email contact@theessexfoundation.org.