The Rockfall Foundation Awards Scholarship to Talia Bauer

The Rockfall Foundation has selected Talia Bauer of Old Saybrook High School to receive the 2025 Virginia R. Rollefson Environmental Leadership Scholarship.

Talia spearheaded a two-year effort to restore the school’s long-neglected greenhouse. Once overgrown and unusable, the space is now a valuable resource for science education, life skills classes, and campus beautification projects, all designed to connect students with plants and nature. Talia led the initiative from start to finish. She organized a team of students, developed a budget and restoration plan, secured grant funding, and managed a successful crowdfunding campaign through Sustainable CT.

Her environmental leadership extends well beyond the greenhouse. As President of the Ecology Club, Talia led projects including invasive plant removal, community trash clean-ups, trail marking, and nature hikes. She also served as a student representative on the Old Saybrook Conservation Commission, where she actively promoted environmental awareness and inspired her peers to get involved.

Talia will attend American University in Washington D.C. this fall. Congratulations, Talia!