CREATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS
Three creative projects that share knowledge, expand the conversation, and motivate action to improve the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will be recognized by the Friends of the San Francisco Estuary board.
For the first time, Friends of the San Francisco Estuary will celebrate creative and original projects at the 2026 Bay-Delta Science Conference. As seen at the biennial State of the Estuary conference, creative projects that share knowledge, expand the conversation, and motivate action to improve the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Estuary) will now be recognized on an annual basis.
The nomination period has closed. The deadline for submission of nomination packages was August 14, 2026.
The Creative Environmental Award
The Friends of the San Francisco Estuary announced a call for artists to submit work for the 2026 Bay-Delta Science Conference, to showcase the science, collaborations, and need for action to protect the Estuary. The Creative Environmental Award reflects the goal of the conferences to promote art that can inspire, share knowledge, and encourage action to protect and enhance the Estuary.
Criteria for Eligibility
Selection will be based on originality, creativity, and the effectiveness of the message to protect the Estuary (Delta-
focused projects encouraged).
To be considered, eligible projects must:
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Be nominated (self-nominations welcomed and encouraged)
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Be completed by the submission deadline of August 14
Awards will be presented at the Bay-Delta Science Conference on September 28-30, 2026, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, CA. In addition to recognition, the Friends of the San Francisco Estuary will provide first, second, and third place awardees a check for $300, $200, and $100, respectively. All artists accepted will be expected to display or present their work at the conference. If the work is performance-based, its presentation will be limited to five minutes. Conference registration is not required, but artists are encouraged to attend the reception on September 28 from 5-7pm.
Those who are interested in sharing art at the 2026 Bay-Delta Science Conference, but unable to meet the award deadline, are encouraged to submit an abstract for the conference’s regular art session.
For questions, please e-mail nominations to Friends of the San Francisco Estuary, c/o Rachael Klopfenstein at friendsofsfestuary@gmail.com.
About Friends of the San Francisco Estuary
Friends of the San Francisco Estuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established by
the San Francisco Estuary Partnership’s Management Committee in 1991. Friends is an
affiliated but separate non-profit organization from the San Francisco Estuary Partnership.
