Journalist Elizabeth Kolbert Honored with Audubon’s Rachel Carson Award

NEW YORK (May 14, 2026) – The National Audubon Society honored environmental journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert with the Rachel Carson Award at the Women in Conservation Luncheon, recognizing her influential work drawing attention to climate change and biodiversity loss. The Rachel Carson Award celebrates women who lead with vision and courage in shaping how the world understands environmental challenges and inspiring future champions for nature.

“The Women in Conservation Luncheon brings together a community committed to advancing trailblazing, courageous women who are advancing conservation action and awareness through their work,” said Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO of the National Audubon Society. “Through the Rachel Carson Award, we recognize individuals like Elizabeth Kolbert, whose work has shaped public understanding of the most pressing environmental challenges facing our world. Her writing builds on the legacy of Rachel Carson, bringing clarity and urgency to these challenges while helping inspire the next generation of leaders.”

Established in 2004 by Allison Whipple Rockefeller, Audubon’s Rachel Carson Award is one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for environmentalists. It bears the name of the marine biologist and trailblazing author of Silent Spring, whose research and writing helped spark the modern environmental movement.

 “I’m tremendously honored to receive the Rachel Carson Award from the National Audubon Society,” said Elizabeth Kolbert. “This is a critical time for all living things and Audubon’s work could not be more important than it is right now.”

In the more than two decades since the award’s inception, recipients have included scientists, journalists, policymakers, and activists who embody Carson’s legacy, broaden our understanding of the natural world, and inspire the next generation to pursue careers in sustainability and conservation. Kolbert joins more than 60 women recognized for using their voices to spark lasting change, including Jane Fonda, Sigourney Weaver, Isabella Rossellini, Kathy Sullivan, Bette Midler, and Sylvia Earle.

The 2026 Women in Conservation Luncheon was emceed by NBC News’ Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent Anne Thompson and held at the Rainbow Room in Manhattan. Proceeds from the Audubon Women in Conservation luncheon support Audubon’s vital work, including the Long Island Sound and Coastal Stewardship Program and the Audubon Women in Conservation Internship.  

About Elizabeth Kolbert 
Elizabeth Kolbert is the bestselling author of The Sixth Extinction, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize, Under a White Sky, which was named a top ten book of the year by The Washington Post, and, most recently, Life on a Little-Known Planet. For her work at The New Yorker, where she’s a staff writer, she has received two National Magazine Awards and the Blake-Dodd Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts, with her husband and children.

About Audubon 
The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, nonpartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With over 900 staff and more than 2.5 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook and Instagram @audubonsociety.