Deb Di Bernardo

At its 30th annual April Showers auction held April 5, The Lands Council presented its first **Deb Di Bernardo Environmental Heroes Award**. Di Bernardo, founder and owner of Roast House Coffee, was an avid supporter of The Lands Council, Spokane’s longest-serving environmental nonprofit.

Executive Director Amanda Parrish shared with more than 250 attendees how Di Bernardo and husband Jim Haynes started Roast House with a mission to source only certified organic, earth-friendly coffees. “But Deb’s impact went far beyond coffee,” Parrish said. “She knew that caring for the planet also meant caring for people. She championed local causes, lifted up her community, and never hesitated to promote The Lands Council as an organization that aligned with her values.”

Parrish continued: “Deb didn’t have to commit to sustainable coffee practices. She didn’t have to uplift women-owned farms or give so much to local nonprofits. But she did, because she lived her values. And so, we can think of no better way to honor Deb and her legacy than by creating an annual award in her name, given to a fellow environmental hero.”

LISA MaTTSON

The first recipient of the award is **Lisa Mattson**, who has worked in Spokane Public Schools for more than 30 years, and since 2009 has been the principal of On Track Academy, an alternative high school built to support students who might not thrive in a traditional school setting.

“Under Lisa’s leadership, On Track Academy has flourished as a nurturing environment where students are empowered to take charge of their education. But like Deb, Lisa’s commitment to her students — and her community — goes far beyond the job description,” said Parrish. “Lisa wants every student who walks through On Track’s doors to build a personal connection with nature. Each year, her students host free tree giveaways for the whole community. When The Lands Council wanted to build stormwater gardens in public schools with student involvement, Lisa was the first principal to say yes.”

Mattson understands the vital role urban trees play in placemaking, in calming traffic, in reducing asthma rates, and knows that the neighborhoods her students live in — where 75% of families are in poverty — are less likely to be healthy, green, shaded neighborhoods. She regularly attends tree equity conferences or urban planning meetings to champion equity and climate justice for those areas.

Receiving the award, Mattson noted the need for community members to get behind efforts like The Lands Council, especially as it and other organizations face the realities of federal funding decisions.

The Lands Council celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, having been founded in 1985 by John Osborn, a physician who challenged corporate and government actions responsible for destroying forests. Its April Showers fundraiser featured a canoe that belonged to Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder; other items from Vedder will be sold in a nationwide online auction later this year. Visit this page to see details.