Sen. Bill Nelson Accepts Audubon of Florida's Theodore Roosevelt Award

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., accepted an award for his conservation efforts at an assembly Friday in Lake Mary.

"Audubon of Floridas Theodore Roosevelt Award goes to lawmakers whose conservation efforts have made a notable impact on Floridas ecosystems and wildlife. Roosevelt was one of the founding members of the Florida Audubon Society and established the first National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island.

The very name Theodore Roosevelt stands for resilience, resolve and courage in the face of fire, said Audubon Executive Director Eric Draper in a press release. No public figure in Florida embodies those values like Senator Bill Nelson.

Nelson has been vocal about protecting Floridas coasts from offshore oil drilling in Cuba and has worked to restore the Everglades. In a press release, Audubon called him the most reliable champion of Floridas environment for the past three decades, willing to stand up to oil companies and other powerful interests while bringing leaders from across the country to view the Everglades and elicit widespread support for protecting Floridas environment.