Local author wins medal for first book

Goshen — Laurel M. Dodge, of Goshen, has been awarded a medal in the national Living Now Book Awards which are held to celebrate the year’s best lifestyle books. The honor, announced on Earth Day, is for Dodge’s first book, “Nature Study for the Whole Family,” published by Royal Fireworks Press of Unionville. An environmentalist, naturalist, instructor, illustrator and homeschooler, Dodge asserts that by sharing the outdoors with the family, children learn lessons for life. Dodge has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and anthropology and a masters degree in environmental studies. Specializing in creating opportunities for families to enjoy wildlife together, she leads local family nature study workshops for the Orange County Audubon Society and the Orange County Land Trust. With a love of nature instilled by her own parents, Dodge has attempted to pass on this love to her own two children, 11-year-old Sebastian and 5-year-old Acadia, whom she educates at home. The book is illustrated with Dodge’s color drawings of plants, insects and butterflies, and can be purchased at bookstores or directly from the publisher at www.rfwp.com. There will be a Living Now Awards ceremony on May 23, in conjunction with BookExpo America in New York.