John Thompson won the most prestigious of his many lake cleanup awards last month when he was presented with the 2023 Alabama Wildlife Federation Governor’s Water Conservationist of the Year Award at AWF’s annual banquet in Prattville. The AWF GCA Award is the highest conversation honor in the state of Alabama. For 50 years, the award has been presented to individuals and organizations that make great contributions to the conservation of Alabama’s wildlife and related natural resources.

“It is quite touching for me to have friends who would put on a suit and see me get an award,” said Thompson, who has led the charge against littered waterways in Alabama for more than 30 years.