Awards given annually by DU Conservation Programs Committee
Ducks Unlimited (DU) recently distributed their annual Excellence in Conservation Awards. DU’s Conservation Programs Committee (CPC) created the awards to recognize outstanding conservation accomplishments and the DU staff who made them possible. Thanks to the continued commitment of DU’s staff, the organization reached an historic milestone last year, conserving more than 15 million acres since DU was founded in 1937.
Any extraordinary accomplishment that supports DU’s conservation mission of filling the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever is eligible for recognition. The 2021 awards were announced at a CPC meeting on Sept. 9.
“These awards recognize Ducks Unlimited’s exceptional conservation professionals and the work they do every day,” said CPC Chair Dr. Christine Thomas. “The awards were created to support morale, motivate our staff and convey the gratitude of DU supporters and volunteers.”
The 2021 DU Excellence in Conservation award winners for outstanding career achievement are:
- Randy Meidinger for 18 years of leading South Dakota’s Revolving Lands Strategy.
- Tim Willis for 25 years spent conserving Arkansas’ flooded timber legacy.
The 2021 DU Excellence in Conservation award winners for outstanding group or individual project are:
- John Hetherwick, Brad Lambert and Cassidy Lejeune for the Bay Denesse Delta Management Project.
- Carter Coleman, Kevin Hartke and Keith Wesley for their work on the Dagger Island Restoration Project.
- Josh Green and Diana Iriarte for the DeLuca conservation easement in Florida.
- Tom Peterson for his efforts in the restoration of Dry Spotted Tail.
- Bruce Harrison and Paul Usher for their wetland mitigation work on Golata Canyon Ranch.
- Ed Farley, John Fraser and Patrick Raney for the growth and advancement of New York and Vermont’s in-lieu fee mitigation program.
- Trent Hreno for creating Manitoba’s code of practice for the Boreal Forest.
- Sylvie Picard for mapping Quebec’s wetlands.
- Forrest Downing, Matt Kaminski and Brett Williams for their work on DU’s San Joaquin Valley conservation team.
- Oswaldo García for his restoration work in DU’s northern and central Waterfowl Priority Regions.
- Casey Campbell for completing projects in the Wood Duck State Wildlife Management Area.
“The greatest team of conservation professionals in the world work for Ducks Unlimited,” DU CEO Adam Putnam said. “These Excellence in Conservation Awards recognize Team DU’s boots on the ground. The work these folks do enable DU to fill the skies with waterfowl and provide important benefits for people, their communities and other wildlife.”
For more information visit www.ducks.org. Follow DU’s news Twitter feed – @DUNews1937 – to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world‘s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 15 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.
