Each year, SeaWorld sponsor the SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year award. This award recognizes and rewards an exceptional educator who is working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment. One educator wins $10,000, an expenses-paid trip for themselves and one guest to a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park for a special awards event, and an all-expenses-paid trip to the NSTA National Conference.

This past year, Pierre Beauchamp, a high school sophomore and a member of the Del Oro Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter was awarded the Environmental Excellence Educator of the Year.


After attending a conference on hydroponics at the University at Nevada, Reno, about three years ago, he has spent much of his time and his own money building a greenhouse at his home and installing an aquaponics system that feeds his seven family members and a handful of local customers. Pierre hoped to install a system at his school and used the award to bring the project to life.

As a result of attending the NSTA National Conference, he made acquaintance with Michael Warring, President of American Educational Products. Since that time he has lead the development of middle and high school classroom based aquaponic systems to be offered to schools throughout the US. Pierre states “The SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Environmental Educator of the Year Award was the impetus for all of this and we are deeply grateful.”