This year’s recipient is Aria Magaro. She was born and has grown up in the least populated county in the state of Pennsylvania, so she has had quite a bit of opportunity to connect with the natural world. Instead of hanging out at the mall for the arcade, she grew up fishing, hiking, and exploring the outdoors. She is not just attracted to nature because of its beauty, but also because of the peace it brings her. Her interest in conservation stems from the belief that the outdoors will not only survive, but also thrive, with the stewardship of her generation and the next.
She grew up emersed in the world of a local National Wild Turkey Federation chapter and her family’s avid beekeeping business and hobby. Aria’s childhood and teen years were spent in the education of others through programs and classes held by various hosts, including the state park service. In 2019, she participated in the tagging of elk calves through the PA Game Commission. She has volunteered in programs put on Cameron County Outdoor Youth Activities. These include Doe Hunts, Ice fishing events, and Fishing Derbies. In 2024, she entered an essay contest and won a trip to the National Big Horn Sheep Center’s “Camp Bighorn” in Dubois, Wyoming. She has volunteered at numerous National Wild Turkey Federation banquets, including running youth activities there. More recently, she has volunteered at the Eastern Chapter of Wild Sheep Foundation’s Hunting and Outdoor Expo. She has expanded her volunteering by running a booth at the annual Elk Fest and helped run an archery booth at her local Fair. In her position as a Jr. Fair Board member and 2024 Jr Miss Cameron County, she has been able to represent Cameron County Outdoor Youth Activities throughout the fair week and the Youth Conservation Night, allowing her to interact with youth and peers to spread the mission of putting youth back on the mountains.
Once seeing her future as an astrophysicist, she has found a more recent passion for spreading conservation. At only 14 years old she states, “sometimes I feel my life is not on a set path. However, I do see conservation as a definite part of it.”