Edward W. Cooch, Jr. Environmental Education Scholarship winners. L to R: Karen Deming, Michele Tracy, Samantha Tracy, Lauren McNulty, Owen McNulty, and Joanne Rufft
The Christina Conservancy presented its 2018 Edward W. Cooch, Jr. Environmental Education Scholarships to Lauren McNulty of Lincoln and Samantha Tracy of Lewes. The scholarships were awarded in memory of the late John Deming who served the Christina Conservancy Board for more than 20 years.
McNulty is a 2018 graduate of Milford Senior High School, where in addition to outstanding academic success she spent more than 700 hours volunteering at the DuPont Nature Center in Milford. Lauren plans to major in Marine Biology and Wildlife Conservation in college.
Samantha Tracy is a 2018 graduate of Cape Henlopen High School. Her involvement in the Green Club at Cape Henlopen High School had her collecting recycling and volunteering at beach cleanups. She plans to major in Marine Science at the University of Delaware.
The awards ceremony was hosted by Judge Richard Cooch at the family’s historic residence at Cooch’s Bridge, on Old Baltimore Pike, in Newark, Delaware. Judge Cooch told the gathering about his father who was a lifelong environmentalist who championed the Christina River and land preservation. Cooch spoke of the rich history of the property and Cooch’s Bridge dating back to 1746, including the popularly held belief that the Betsy Ross American flag was first flown in battle at the Revolutionary War Battle of Cooch’s Bridge in 1777.