Category Archives: awards

5 State Biologists Are USFWS Recovery Champions

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Christine Kelly

Every year the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) singles out its employees and partners who have made a difference in the recovery of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals. Yesterday the service recognized 17 individuals and organizations as 2011 Recovery Champions. Among that group were five state biologists who either were recognized as individuals or as part of a team.

The state wildlife biologists who were recognized as Recovery Champions for 2011 are:

David Lincicome, Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation

David Lincicome

Jeff Boechler, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, as part of the Clackamas River Basin Bull Trout Team, Oregon
David Lincicome,Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Nashville, Tennessee, for leading the Tennessee Natural Heritage and Natural Areas Programs in restoring endangered and threatened plants such as Eggert’s sunflower and the Tennessee purple coneflower
Christine Kelly, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, for aiding the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel with launch poles to help the animals cross a road
Brian Kurzel, Colorado Natural Areas Program and Susan Spackman-Panjabi, Colorado Natural Heritage Program as part of the Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Initiative

Read more about their accomplishments in the USFWS press release announcing the awards, here.

Photo credits. The photo of Chris Kelly is by G Peeples. The photo of David Lincicome is by R. McCoy. Both used courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service

Minn. Nongame Supervisor Wins National Bird Award

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Carroll Henderson, who has been supervisor of the Nongame Wildlife Program at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) since 1977, was awarded the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Gary T. Myers Bird Conservation Award at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Atlanta, Georgia last week.

A US Fish and Wildlife Service press release says that the award recognized Henderson for, “successful bird conservation initiatives involving research, endangered species protection and restoration, habitat preservation, collaboration with state and federal wildlife agencies, promotion of nature tourism, and educational efforts including more than 1,000 public presentations.”

Henderson has also written 11 books and has lead 49 international bird watching tours.

Read the US Fish and Wildlife Service press release about the award (and several other bird conservation awards), here.

Read the Minnesota DNR press release announcing the award, here.

To learn more about Henderson, and his experiences as a nongame program supervisor, read a Q&A with him on the Minnesota Trails website.

Feds Honor State Biologists

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Heidi Holman

Three state biologists and one tribal biologist have been named US Fish & Wildlife Service Recovery Champions for 2010. According to the announcement, Recovery Champions, “are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff and their partners whose work is advancing the recovery of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals.”

The state biologists who won the award are Heidi Holman and Lindsay Webb of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Misty Buchanan of the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, and Dan Carney of Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife in Montana.

The award honors the New Hampshire scientists for helping to restore the Karner blue butterfly, which was at the brink of extirpation from New Hampshire when their work began. More information about their work for the Karner blue is available in a New Hampshire Fish and Game press release, and in the Recovery Champions announcement.

Misty Buchanan was honored for her work with two plants, rough-leaf loosestrife and golden sedge. She was named for her survey work on 27 listed plant species in North Carolina, which located populations of those species, and provided information about their health. That expertise made her a valuable partner to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Dan Carney was recognized for his work with grizzly bears on the Blackfeet Indian Researvation in Montanta. The US Fish and Wildlife Service cites his tireless work in defusing conflicts between the grizzly bears and humans, as well as his management plan, and research as key factors in the grizzly bear recovery in the hundreds of square miles of bear habitat on the reservation. He works for the Blackfeet Nation. A US Fish and Wildlife press release has more info. His award generated TV coverage.

More info on the work of all of these wildlife biologists is available from the Recovery Champions announcement.

Photo: Heidi Holman participates in a controlled burn. Photo credit: NH Fish and Game