The recipient of this year’s Audubon Award for Art Inspiring Conservation has creatively crafted a world of wood, metal and the awareness that man cannot live on fossil fuels alone.

Philadelphia artisan and climate change advocate Peter Handler will be honored for his extensive commitment to artistry and passion for conservation on April 10 at the Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show Preview Gala, “Whiskey + Wood + Wrens: A Celebration of Nature Inspiring the Finer Things in Life.”

“I am grateful to the Audubon Center for this incredible honor,” Handler said.  “As we face global climate change, working as a climate activist feels to me like a sacred calling.  As an activist, I lobby with Citizens Climate Lobby and work with faith-based groups with Philadelphia Interfaith Power and Light.  As an artist, my series The Canaries in the Coal Mine and my work with Honoring the Future enables me to use art to communicate about climate change, pulling together these parts of my life.”

Handler’s work includes four decades of carefully designed and crafted custom tables, chairs, cabinetry and Judaica, along with a signature series of tables, reliquaries and sculptural pieces about climate change.

“Peter was the unanimous choice for the 2015 award,” Audubon Center Director Jean Bochnowski said, “first and foremost for his extraordinary work with wood and metals. Each piece is elegant, showcasing his fine craftsmanship and the natural beauty of the materials. Equally impressive is his extensive advocacy efforts on behalf of the environment and ongoing record of lobbying and educating locally and nationally on climate change issues.”