Name: 2026 Environmental Guardian Award – Environmental Activism

Years Awarded: 2026

Type Awarded: Grant

Details: The 2026 JFETF Environmental Guardian Award goes to Sarah Balon. Ms. Balon is a University of Mary Washington graduate who majored in Environmental Science and has dedicated much of her time to environmental volunteer work, conservation, and community advocacy. Sarah has volunteered with a wide range of environmental organizations, including Friends of the Rappahannock, the Rappahannock Education Farm, the Soil and Water Conservation District, Protect Stafford, Bee City, Waterway Cleanups, and the Rappahannock Group of the Sierra Club (RGSC). As an RGSC intern, she serves as communications chair, running the organization’s Instagram account and writing articles for RGSC’s quarterly newsletter and the Virginia Chapter Sierran newsletter. Ms. Balon also participates in on the ground field organizing, including speaking at Board of Supervisors meetings, speaking with regional delegates, and going door to door educating citizens on important issues. Ms. Balon recently finished a JFETF project: Water Quality and Stream Monitoring (https://jfetf.org/award/water-quality-and-stream-monitoring-award/). Through the project, she collected monthly measurements of pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, conductivity, temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen to determine potential environmental impacts of data center construction on water quality. Sarah's dedication to environmental advocacy demonstrates the qualities of an Environmental Guardian. We are proud to recognize her work and look forward to seeing what she does next.

Status: Award given Summer 2026.