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2024 ANJEC Lechner Scholarship winner T By Georgia Madiba, ANJEC Membership Manager he 2024 recipient of ANJEC's Lechner Scholarship is Nicholas Guerriero of Surf City, located on Long Beach Island. Nicholas completed high school at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES), a specialized school focused on marine and environmental science. Guerriero is a junior at Stockton University pursuing a degree in environmental science with a concentration in soil science and hydrology. His commitment to preserving and improving New Jersey's natural resources, particularly the coastal waters, is demonstrated by his work beyond the university. Guerriero's hands-on experience with shellfish began at MATES while volunteering on research projects with ReClam the Bay, a nonprofit cultivating and nurturing baby clams and oysters in the Barnegat Bay Watershed's ecosystem in southern New Jersey. He currently works at the Barnegat Oyster Collective, a farm-to-table shellfish aquaculture organization comprised of independent oyster farms in the Garden State. Guerriero manages the nursery and caters the raw bar at special events while informing partygoers on the sustainable practices employed at the Collective. He has also served as the Kayak Eco-Tours program manager and sole guide for Bayview Harbor Marina, where he has educated and guided groups around salt marsh areas, emphasizing the importance of ecosystem preservation and conservation. ANJEC is impressed by Guerriero's ability to juggle his work (both volunteer and paid) along with his college studies. After university, he is considering a job as a New Jersey conservation officer, or pursuing his passion: shellfish. SUSTAINABLY PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ANJEC awards this scholarship biannually to rising college juniors and seniors in memory of conservationist Hermia Lechner to honor her commitment to the preservation of open space and natural resources in New Jersey. A third generation fisherman and clammer, Nicholas is in his element in the coastal waters of New Jersey. ANJEC REPORT – Autumn 2024 9