Thomas McEvoy fosters a sustainable relationship among woodlands, wildlife and people. He fosters a healthy relationship among foresters, loggers, property owners and academia. For those reasons and many more, McEvoy, a UVM Extension forester and natural resources professor in the University of Vermont's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, took home the sterling silver Robert O. Sinclair Cup May 9 at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences annual alumni and friends award dinner. In nominating McEvoy for this award, Lisa Chase, UVM Extension's natural resource specialist, said, "his influence on Extension forestry and on forest management in Vermont and beyond is profound." McEvoy, of Bolton Valley, Vermont, earned his bachelor's degree in forestry from Michigan State University and his master's degree in forest biology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He came to UVM Extension from the University of Connecticut Extension in 1981, as a part-time state coordinator of natural resource programs. He worked his way up to professor and Vermont Extension Forester. Over the years, McEvoy received countless program and curriculum awards — and the best compliment of all — his programs have been adopted nationwide. He published some 265 articles in popular, technical and peer-reviewed publications. His five practical how-to books earned him four national book awards. Through them he has reached hundreds of thousands of people from Highgate to Hawaii. In fact, McEvoy is as well known in the Hawaii forestry industry as he is in Vermont because of his work there. James Friday, associate Extension specialist in forestry at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, who has worked closely with Thom said, "he relies on frankness and good humor to overcome skepticism from landowners and loggers, and he has challenged loggers to increase their professionalism." McEvoy created the "LEAP Program (Logger Education to Advance Professionalism) to give loggers a standard for certification and their customers a way to identify professionals. Attendees laud his workshops for their use of the latest technology and Internet. "In a world full of soft, ho-hum workshops. Thom's are well known for their rigor and utility, clear organization and lively, innovative teaching techniques — participants retain and apply the concepts long after the workshops end," said James Northup, former chief planner for the U.S. Forest Service on the Green Mountain National Forest; now advising the U.S./Canada collaboration called "Two Countries, One Forest." It's one thing to improve the industry by changing loggers' and educators' minds, but McEvoy also reaches a heretofore-underserved audience — folks who own a few acres or a few hundred acres. Whether it's the homeowners' "back 40" or the woodlot on the family farm, McEvoy works with people who want to do right by their land, but don't know where to start. In 1985, he founded the Vermont Coverts Program to teach landowners sound forest management practices that promote wildlife habitats. More than 200,000 acres of Vermont Forests benefit from Coverts. Trevor Martin Evans is just one such Coverts member. His 900+ acres in Derby, Vermont are a testimony to McEvoy's work — most importantly on forest estate planning. Evans says, "my will now provides my family a place to live, always, but prevents parcelization of the land. Once no one in the family lives on the land, it will be a bird and animal sanctuary, allow for academic research and preserve the beauty of Vermont." Again, James Northup on the impact Thom McEvoy has made in North America. "Thom's counsel and books helped frame sustainable forestry principles. The tangible result is vastly improved timber management of New England's national forests and beyond." The award is named for Robert O. Sinclair, who, in 2006, was the award's inaugural recipient. Sinclair set the standard for the qualifications for this award — a person whose career with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences or UVM Extension achieved excellence, demonstrated an exemplary record of service and a commitment to fulfill the land-grant mission to serve the people of Vermont. CAPTION: Thomas McEvoy, the sixth recipient of the Robert Sinclair Cup for distinctive career contributions, right, and the award's namesake and first recipient, Robert Sinclair. ~Todd Pritchard photo.