Newton Morosco Foundation, in partnership with Salisbury University in Maryland, created the Green Earth Book Award to promote books that inspire a child to grow a deeper appreciation, respect and responsibility for his or her natural environment. Started in 2005, the award focuses on books that best raise awareness of the beauty of our natural world and the responsibility that we have to protect it. The award is intended to teach the ethos of environmental stewardship and to make our children more aware of the fragile nature of their local ecosystems and the role each of us can play in nurturing, protecting and defending it.