2020 Rookie of the Year Award

The Rookie of the Year Award goes to an outstanding pilot in their first year volunteering for LightHawk.

Since becoming a LightHawk pilot in March of 2019, our conservation partners in Maine and New Hampshire have been given an amazing aerial perspective because of Jim. He has signed up for 23 flights and has flown 13 of those since joining LightHawk. His support of LightHawk and multiple conservation partners working in New England has been remarkable, and it has only been one year so far. Jim Schmidt and his hardworking Cessna 206 soared above the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine for the 7Lakes Alliance, helped the Nature Conservancy survey its conservation easements off the rugged coast of Maine, captured stunning 4K video of the mid-coast region for the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and kept close watch over thousands of acres of the northern forests in Maine and New Hampshire for The Nature Conservancy.

Congratulations Jim and thank you for all of your support and the dedication to showing the world the beauty of conservation from above.