 Bell has won many awards for his conservation work, including the National Wildlife Federation's Jay N. “Ding” Darling Award, for Conservationist of the Year in 2002.The award was established “to honor individuals who have made exceptional lifetime contributions to the cause of conservation”, according to the National Wildlife Federation.Previous recipients of the award include President Jimmy Carter, oceanographer Sylvia Earle and U.S. Sen. John Chafee.