"Just being nominated was humbling," Dean Schneider said yesterday.
Mr Schneider, an environmental educator who lived in Dunedin from 1991 to 2001, received a Green Ribbon award from Prime Minister Helen Clark at a ceremony in the Wellington Town Hall on Tuesday.
United States-born Mr Schneider emigrated to New Zealand in 1981 and became interested in hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins) while teaching at Tokanui School in Southland.
He has co-authored three children's books on the hoiho, allof which have been soldinternationally, and he has also photographed the birds for many publications.
While in Dunedin, he gained corporate sponsorship to teach an environmental awareness programme to more than 1500 primary school children a year in 10 schools.
In 1995, he led a New Zealand delegation to the first United Nations environmental conference for children, held in Eastbourne, England, and has since attended another six.
He has also been involved with the Sir Peter Blake Foundation.
Mr Schneider moved to Nelson in 2001 and has continued his involvement with schools.
