Lucas Morthole awarded David Bouverie Scholarship, heading to UC Berkeley.
Since his youth, Lucas has taken every opportunity to study science during the school year and over the summer.
Beginning in the fifth grade, Lucas joined Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Juniper Junior Naturalist program, which welcomes and encourages young learners who are curious about nature and conservation science. As a Juniper, Lucas participated in habitat stewardship, helped guide nature walks and conduct newt counts, and served as a mentor to the younger Junipers.
In high school, Lucas began exploring the worlds of chemistry and biology. He reflects on one semester when he had an amazing teacher who helped him realize how much he loved chemistry.
“I knew that I wanted to pursue biology since I was young, but at that moment, while in my high school chemistry class, I knew that I had to combine the two.”
At UC Berkeley, Lucas plans to study molecular and cellular biology, with an emphasis in biochemistry. He recently took a summer course on the biology of marine mammals at Santa Rosa Junior College and spent four weeks at the competitive California State Summer School for Math and Science (COSMOS) at UC Santa Cruz, where he studied nanochemistry and nanotechnology.
We look forward to seeing how Lucas’s love of science continues to evolve and grow.
In the meantime, Lucas has advice for the young Junipers at Audubon Canyon Ranch.
“Keep following your passions in life—whatever you are interested in, that is what you will do best.”
Read more about winners of the 2021 David Bouverie Scholarship and 2020 David Bouverie Scholarship.
Learn more about the David Bouverie Scholarship
In 2009, the David Bouverie Scholarship Fund was established with an initial grant of $25,000 from The Dennis and Carol Ann Rockey Fund of the Marin Community Foundation.
The Fund was established in memory of Phyllis Ellman, a longtime ACR Board member and “founding mother” of the Bouverie Preserve’s Environmental Education Program. With that program, Ellman served as a docent from 1980 until her death in June 2009. Phyllis was one of the founders of the Juniper Program at Bouverie.
The Scholarship Fund provides $2,000 academic scholarships to Junipers who remain involved through high school and plan to pursue higher education or service in the sciences or environmental education.
Previous Recipients of the David Bouverie Scholarship:
2021 Hunter Halkovich, Cardinal Newman High School
2020 Lucia Garay, Casa Grande High School
2016 Katy Tracy and Sara Tracy, Windsor High School
2015 Jared Abramson, Montgomery High School
2014 Daniel Grubb, Rancho Cotate High School
2014 Alex Lutzow, Technology High School
2013 Jason Allen
2012 Nick Tracy, Windsor High School
2011 Elliott Smeds, Maria Carrillo High School
2010 Sophia Grubb, Rancho Cotate High School
2009 Gerrit Van Sickle, Sonoma Valley High School
Support the ongoing education goals of young naturalists
Young naturalists today are the leaders and scientists of tomorrow.
Visit https://egret.org/donation-form-give to make an online contribution (specify “David Bouverie Scholarship Fund”), or by phone at 415-868-9244 ext .119 or via check with the memo to:
Audubon Canyon Ranch
P.O. Box 577
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
