April’s Earth Day Fellows Program
A special focus of the foundation is celebrating the creativity of individuals through the April’s Earth Day Fellows program.
The April’s Earth Day Fellows program recognizes the past accomplishments of an individual who has creatively leveraged STEAM to inspire, motivate, and educate children about nature and the importance of conserving Earth’s ecosystems.
Starting in 2026, the award is announced on Earth Day (April 22) of each year.
2026 April's Earth Day Fellow
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Green Snail Award
April Celebrates An Amazing Woodland Wildflower Bloom!
April’s Earth Day 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 is an investment in the recipient with hopes that it will serve as a catalyst for continued contributions to their field.
The Green Snail Award comes with a no-strings-attached monetary component. There are no reporting obligations nor restrictions imposed on how an April’s Earth Day Fellow can use their Green Snail Award funds.
Listen to April Sing Her Song, Happy Earth Day
How April’s Earth Day Fellows Are Chosen
Given April’s esteemed career as a prolific, successful writer and photo-illustrator of non-fiction children’s books, it may seem that people with a similar background would be the primary candidates for consideration. But our mission mandates that we consider a broader pool of potential nominees.
April celebrated the creativity of others. She especially loved to shine the light on those in any field who had a passion for educating children about nature and the importance of conservation.
So whereas the foundation will sometimes consider other children’s book writers and illustrators for nomination, in honor of April, our overall mandate is to celebrate those who creatively leverage STEAM to inspire, motivate, and educate children about nature and the importance of conserving Earth’s ecosystems. So the amazing contributions of teachers, librarians, editors, art directors, nature interpreters, and others will also be considered.
We do not accept applications nor unsolicited nominations for the April’s Earth Day Fellows program. Nominees must be citizens or residents of the United States. They also cannot currently hold elective office or high-level positions in government.
Status of the April’s Earth Day Fellows Program
Please note that the April’s Earth Day Fellows Program is not yet a program of the Foundation. We are working on establishing it.
The IRS has very specific requirements that must be met before a 501(c)(3) Private Foundation can officially establish a grant or award program for individuals. There are numerous pitfalls a private foundation may face if it does not not carefully follow procedures and submit a request for pre-approval by the IRS of any proposed grant making programs. Until approval is received, a foundation cannot run such a program.
We will keep you informed of the process as needed. Please join our list to stay up to date.
Why Won’t the First April’s Earth Day Fellow Be Named Until April 2026?
There are several reasons. First, the Foundation is not yet authorized to make grants or awards to individuals. Second, it takes time to properly setup such programs and receive approval from the IRS (see above). Third, taking our time in establishing the program will allow us to build our Endowment Fund.
I’m an editor / publisher. Where do I send books to be considered for the award?
The April’s Earth Day Fellows program is not a book award. It is not a recognition of a book or any specific, single work or project. Any books received or emails about the topic will be ignored.
Where do I send nominations for the award? Can I nominate myself?
We do not accept applications nor unsolicited nominations for the April’s Earth Day Fellows program. Any received will be ignored.