Historic Brighton is proud to announce George L. Smith, Ph.D. as the 2026 recipient of the Leo Dodd Heritage Preservation Award. George will be presented with his award on Sunday, September 13th at the Buckland Lodge in Buckland Park, as part of the Historic Brighton Annual Meeting. He will also give a presentation on the “Benefits of Brighton’s Trees” along with a guided walking tour in close proximity to the Lodge.

George taught science at Brighton High School for 25 years before he retired in 2024. He worked with students on various “citizen scientist” projects including testing water quality in Buckland Creek for 20 plus years, working on the habitat restoration project adjacent to the high school, and documenting urban heat island effects in the Town of Brighton. George holds both a MS in Marine Environmental Science and a PhD in Geology.

Apart from his work at the High School, George has been an instrumental force for environmental restoration projects in the Town of Brighton. He has been a member of the Brighton Town Conservation Board for over 10 years and was part of the Task Force created for the Monroe Avenue Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP) Project.  In addition, he has been actively involved in the Town’s stormwater initiatives including catch basin markers, monitoring Buckland Creek and the restoration of Buckland Creek.

His latest project has been the organization of the Town’s annual Arbor Day tree planting for the past several years and the establishment of Brighton’s Tree Nursery. This endeavor has planted over 1000 trees in Buckland Park along the section of Allen’s Creek that flows through the park in order to improve streamside habitat and downstream water quality.