Nancy Miles may have retired in 1999, but that hasn't stopped her continued, quiet influence on Cape Elizabeth's environment.

For her years of volunteer efforts with the Cape schools, gardening community and Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, Miles was named the 2005 recipient of the Town's Ralph Gould Citizenship Award.

"Nancy, congratulations on behalf of the citizens of Cape Elizabeth for everything you have done to enrich our lives as part of your non-stop volunteer efforts," Town Council Chairman David Backer said as he awarded a plaque to Miles at the council's Feb. 13 meeting.

For nearly 20 years, the Town has presented the Gould Award to a citizen in recognition of community service, as was demonstrated by the award's first recipient, Ralph T. Gould.

Miles, an educator for more than 25 years, including seven as a special-ed teacher in Cape Elizabeth, has coupled her teaching talents with a love of gardening and the environment.

Miles was a charter member of the Town's Recycling Committee, serving for six years and two years as chairman.

More recently, she served for nine years as a member of the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust Board of Directors, including six years as chairman of the Education Committee.

"During that time, the committee initiated and coordinated projects in all three schools to provide students with a greater awareness and appreciation of the varied habitats and conserved lands in Cape," said Backer, reading from a biography prepared by fellow councilor Carol Fritz.

"She and the committee worked with Community Services to develop four-season outdoor programs for Pond Cove students both after school and during the summer to explore Cape's trails. The groundwork was set for a new program in place this year working with the fourth-grade teachers to provide guided walks in Robinson Woods in all three seasons. The students observe the plants and wildlife as part of their science curriculum in coordination with the Maine Learning Results," Backer said.

In the Middle School, Miles coordinated the annual trail construction projects where eighth-graders built and improved trails in Robinson Woods, Dyer-Hutchinson Farm, Willow Brook, and Runaway Farm. "These annual projects required arranging for adult volunteers, assembling tools and materials, and instructing and supervising all the eighth-grade students," Backer said.

And, at the High School, Miles helped coordinate the annual three-week senior transition projects for students who choose to work on major trail construction and learn about the importance of land conservation, Backer said.

Miles also coordinated with Community Services a number of adult and family guided walks led by community experts to observe the birds, trees, wildflowers, ferns, and vernal pools in various conserved areas in Cape Elizabeth. She also has worked with several Brownie and Girl Scout troops on trail projects on land trust properties.

And, although not an official member of the Conservation Commission, Miles has worked with the commission as a Land Trust liaison on several projects.

Perhaps her most visible contributions are at the entrance of the Fitness Center and Community Pool, site of a garden maintained by Miles as a master gardener volunteer. She was instrumental in creating the Community Garden at Gull Crest fields, and continues to coordinate supplies and maintenance of the garden and provide assistance and advice on organic gardening to young families who have plots there.

"She also helps in growing and harvesting additional produce for donation to various food pantries as part of the Plant-a-Row for the Hungry Program," said Backer. "The garden has contributed almost 1,000 pounds of produce in the last four seasons to the food pantries."

Miles was treated to a reception prior to the Feb. 13 council meeting.

"I feel very honored to receive this award, and humbled," Miles said. "I wish there were a place on this (plaque) for lots of other volunteers because the projects that I have worked on were accomplished with the help of many other volunteers. Many of them are in this room," Miles said. She said whatever efforts they had made were repaid with new friendships and the feeling of making positive contribution to the town. "That is a very satisfactory part of my efforts and I hope to keep on doing the same thing," Miles said.