On September 18, 2026, Marcia Basalla received the Marin Special Award for Environmental Achievement from the Marin Conservation League (MCL) for her Pacheco Valle Biodiversity Project, which converted a traffic island in Novato, CA, into roadside wildlife habitat.
This year’s award recipients reflect the extraordinary range of people and organizations working to protect Marin’s environment—from restoring Marin’s creeks and habitats to investigative journalism that led to a shake-up in MCE’s leadership to helping elementary school students turn waste reduction into action.
Watch the award acceptance speech by Marcia Basalla at the 2026 Marin Conservation League Environmental Awards.
I am so happy that Marcia was recognized for her wonderful work on this island. It is a joyous place. A few months ago when I volunteed on the Monarch Bioblitz wefound the most amount of eggs and larva on this island! I hope this spread spreads throughout the county or many other islands.