St. Augustine presents inaugural Red Cedar Award to Matanzas Riverkeeper director Jen Lomberg

At a ceremony in St. Augustine, the mayor and city commissioners presented the inaugural Red Cedar Award for Environmental Impact to Jen Lomberg, executive director and riverkeeper of Matanzas Riverkeeper, in recognition of her leadership on local and state water-quality and conservation efforts.

Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder, who proposed the award, said the recognition grew out of a desire to honor residents and organizations that have led conservation projects without formal recognition. "It is especially fitting that the very first recipient of this award is Jen Lomberg, executive director and riverkeeper of Matanzas Riverkeeper," Blonder said, praising Lomberg's "sustained commitment, passionate advocacy, and real tangible impact" on protecting the city's natural resources.

Blonder credited Lomberg with mobilizing grassroots support and work in Tallahassee to secure state funding to protect Fish Island, which she described as a 62-acre preserve containing maritime hammock, salt marsh and other natural communities and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Blonder also noted Lomberg's role in founding and leading Waterkeepers Florida, a statewide coalition of 15 Waterkeeper organizations, and described Lomberg's duties overseeing Matanzas Riverkeeper's strategy, fundraising and projects to advance water-quality protections.

The mayor, who announced the award and said it was named for the city's official tree to symbolize resiliency and stewardship, framed the recognition as a way to celebrate community stewards who protect St. Augustine's waterways and ecosystems. The mayor noted that "these contributions are not only meaningful, but they are essential to the character and future of our city."

Accepting the award, Jen Lomberg thanked the city and emphasized the collective nature of conservation work. "I've never been on this side of the gate before. Thank you so much to the city for this recognition," Lomberg said. "The fact of the matter is I do not do this work alone. This is very much a community effort. ... I'm equally honored to share it with everyone here today, our volunteers, our board members, our local business leaders, our elected officials."

Blonder tied the award presentation to Earth Month, urging residents to renew their commitment to environmental stewardship and saying the honor should inspire further community action. The ceremony concluded with Lomberg encouraging continued collaboration among nonprofits, agencies and citizens to protect local waterways.