Austin Non-Profit Leader Heather Kuhlken Receives $50,000 Crawford Prize to Expand Access to Outdoor Education

Awarded by the National Recreation Foundation, the honor recognizes Kuhlken's leadership advancing equitable, hands-on outdoor learning opportunities for youth through her Austin-based non-profit, Families in Nature.

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Founder and executive director of Families in Nature (FIN), Heather Kuhlken, was awarded the 2025 Robert W. Crawford Achievement Prize by the National Recreation Foundation (NRF), receiving $50,000 to expand FIN's outdoor education programming and train the next generation of grassroots ecologists.

Kuhlken founded FIN in 2008 to offer family and community programming for scientific literacy, outdoor skills, and conservation leadership. Under Kuhlken's direction, FIN has grown into an international environmental education and conservation organization that has served more than 32,000 people, delivered 370,000+ hours of outdoor programming, and certified more than 250 nature guides.

"Heather Kuhlken's impact shows how thoughtful, community-rooted programs can transform young people's relationship with nature," said NRF President and CEO Sophie Twichell. "By expanding access to high-quality outdoor learning—and doing so with rigor, partnership, and joy—she exemplifies the spirit of the Crawford Prize."

FIN's model pairs hands-on, place-based learning with inclusive, nature-based leadership practices, helping young people translate curiosity into understanding, and knowledge into stewardship. As an educator and biologist, Kuhlken has presented on environmental education, equitable access, and youth leadership at local, national, and international convenings, including most recently at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress. Her forthcoming book, Adventures in Ecology (Texas A&M University Press, 2026), distills FIN's field-tested approach to inspire lifelong conservation habits through family and community play.

"This honor reflects the work of thousands of families, educators, and partners who are building a culture of belonging in the outdoors," said Kuhlken. "We are ready to replicate our success in a sustainable way and are grateful for the Crawford Prize in helping us get more families outside."

The Crawford Prize spotlights a timely need: young people thrive when they can safely explore the outdoors, practice real conservation skills, and connect with nature, their families, and their community.

Kuhlken was presented the award at the NRF Board of Trustees Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 25, 2025 near Raton, New Mexico. Each year, the Crawford Award and event celebrates outstanding leadership in outdoor recreation and reasserts NRF's mission to foster healthy lifestyles for American youth and families.

About Families in Nature

Families in Nature (FIN) is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects families to nature and trains the next generation of conservation leaders. Through the Ecologist School curriculum, Nature Guide and Junior Ecologist Certifications, the Gear Library, and school and community partnerships, FIN delivers equitable, research-informed outdoor learning that builds scientific literacy, leadership, a deep love of nature, and a lifelong commitment to conservation. Learn more at familiesinnature.org.

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SOURCE Families in Nature