Hollywood and rock ’n’ roll came together to celebrate the environment Tuesday night at the Citi Wang Theatre, where Robert Redford accepted the 2014 Global Environmental Leadership Award from the Walden Woods Project, and the Eagles gave a performance for a capacity crowd.
The event was a benefit for the WWP, founded by Eagles drummer-singer-songwriter Don Henley nearly 25 years ago. Henley served as the night’s emcee.
Redford received the award — which was first given to President Bill Clinton in 2012 — for his environmental activism over the years. Also receiving honors during the night were representatives from the Student Conservation Association, the Sky Island Alliance, Gardens for Health International, and Nashua High School South student Deepika Kurup.
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In his remarks Henley called Redford “an ardent conservationist and environmentalist; an individual who stands for social responsibility and political involvement; an artist and businessman who is a staunch supporter of uncompromised creative expression.”
During his acceptance speech Redford quoted Wendell Berry and recalled the beginnings of his own environmental awakening in 1968 and how it led him to be active in speaking out on behalf of preservation. He also noted, to the crowd’s delight that “even though I grew up in California, I’m a Red Sox fan.”
Following the presentation of the awards the Eagles played a set of their greatest hits.
More than $1.6 million was raised for the Walden Woods Project.
Correction: Due to a reporting error, a quote in the original story was attributed to Don Henley. Mr. Henley was quoting another source. The Globe regrets the error.