CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF AN ACCLAIMED SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR AND EDUCATOR, THE APRIL PULLEY SAYRE LEGACY FOUNDATION PREPARES TO ANNOUNCE ITS FIRST
“APRIL’S EARTH DAY FELLOW”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
South Bend, Indiana, March 25, 2026 On November 6, 2021, the world of children’s publishing lost a shining star — April Pulley Sayre. To honor and continue her legacy, the April Pulley Sayre Legacy Foundation was formed with the mission of celebrating the creativity of individuals through the April’s Earth Day Fellows program, a special annual honor and award that is announced each Earth Day starting this Earth Day, April 22, 2026.
ABOUT THE APRIL’S EARTH DAY FELLOWS PROGRAM
In its annual Earth Day announcement, the foundation names a new April’s Earth Day Fellow — an individual who exemplifies the ideals of the foundation. Fellows are also recipients of the Green Snail Award, so named in recognition of April’s snail logo and her passion for conservation.
The Green Snail Award comes with a no-strings-attached monetary component. There are no reporting obligations and no restrictions imposed on how April’s Earth Day Fellows can use their Green Snail Award funds. It is an investment in the recipients with hopes that it will serve as a catalyst for continued contributions to their chosen fields.
In selecting candidates for the April’s Earth Day Fellows program, the foundation considers a wide range of individuals, from children’s writers and illustrators, to teachers, librarians, editors, art directors, nature interpreters, scientists, and more. A rigorous private process is employed to select each year’s Fellow and Green Snail Award recipient. The foundation does not accept applications or unsolicited nominations for the April’s Earth Day Fellows program.
ABOUT APRIL PULLEY SAYRE
Sayre was an esteemed writer and photo-illustrator of non-fiction children’s books. She published 82 books during her career, many with a strong natural history and conservation theme. An additional seven books were released after her passing.
According to Jeff Sayre, April’s husband, “She was not only a prolific writer, she was also a gifted photographer, creative artist, talented poet, and ardent naturalist and conservationist.” Wishing to continue his wife’s legacy, Sayre established the April Pulley Sayre Legacy Foundation.
“I wanted to honor April’s legacy in a special way”, he said. “April was very generous and gracious with her time. She was an admirer and supporter of and mentor to many in the children’s literature community — writers, illustrators, teachers, librarians, editors, art directors, and more. She always made time to help others with their careers, giving them advice and offering motivation and pep talks. She loved celebrating the creativity of others by shining light on those in any field who had a passion for educating and inspiring children about nature and the importance of conserving Earth’s ecosystems. I believe this foundation can continue April’s strong legacy by recognizing and supporting that important work. April would be delighted.”
April Pulley Sayre was a talented writer, photographer, and ardent conservationist. Here she is with her ever-present camera photographing frogs for one of her books.
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Photo © 2018 Jeff Sayre
ABOUT THE APRIL PULLEY SAYRE LEGACY FOUNDATION
The foundation was established with the aspiration of continuing to shine April’s bright light on others. Its mission is to support, encourage, and recognize both charitable organizations and exceptionally creative individuals who leverage STEAM concepts (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) to inspire, motivate, and educate children about nature and the importance of conserving Earth’s ecosystems. The foundation has five board members. Along with April’s husband, Jeff, there are two of April’s publishing colleagues, one of her brothers-in-law, and one of her sisters. The April Pulley Sayre Legacy Foundation is officially recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit, private foundation.