Celebrating Conservation

Defenders 8th Annual Wildlife Conservation Awards Dinner Recognizes Four Environmental Leaders

Defenders of Wildlife hosted its 8^th annual Wildlife Conservation Awards Dinner last Thursday, September 18, 2014. The event was held at the historic Mayflower Hotel, proclaimed by President Truman to be the “second best address in DC.” It was a fantastic evening and a defining moment for the organization this year. More than 240 guests attended the dinner, including Defenders’ Board of Directors, National Council, members of Congress, and dozens of supporters who traveled across the country to be part of the festive evening.

The annual Awards Dinner is a wonderful opportunity to gather our most dedicated advocates in celebration of Defenders’ accomplishments and to honor members of the community for their unparalleled contributions to wildlife and land conservation.

Bison herds, once a familiar sight all across the Great Plains, are making a triumphant return at Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

This year, Defenders honored U.S. Representative James Moran with the Spirit of Defenders Public Service Award for acting as a staunch advocate for conservation and imperiled wildlife since he was first elected in 1990. As the ranking member of the Interior and Environmental Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative Moran has fought numerous anti-environmental provisions in spending bills and secured funding for key wildlife programs, especially at times when basic funding for essential species-saving programs were at great risk.

The Spirit of Defenders Citizen Advocacy Award was presented to the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes for their tremendous leadership in bringing bison back to their land in the northeast corner of Montana. Several members of the tribes, led by Tribal Chairman A.T. Stafne, were in attendance to accept the award. Supported by Defenders and other conservation groups, the tribes overcame legislative roadblocks and legal challenges and invested considerable time and effort to realize their vision of starting a new, wild herd on the Great Plains seeded with bison from Yellowstone National Park.

Dr. Gratwicke’s work will help preserve species like this one from the deadly spread of chytrid disease.

Dr. Brian Gratwicke was honored with the Spirit of Defenders Science Award for his efforts to address global amphibian declines. Gratwicke’s research is focused on finding a cure to mitigate the threat of chytridiomycosis, a devastating amphibian disease implicated in the recent extinctions of more than 90 amphibian species around the world.

The final award of the evening – the Spirit of Defenders Legacy Award – was given to author and naturalist Terry Tempest Williams. Williams is best known for her eloquent speaking and writing on ecological consciousness and social change. Williams graciously accepted the award thanking Defenders for acting as advocate for the planet’s wild species and special places, which are so often ignored.

Congratulations to the 2014 honorees – we are deeply grateful for your inspiring leadership and advocacy! Thank you to everyone who supported the dinner, especially dinner co-chairs, Loretta Stadler and Richard Robb, and the generous supporters who helped to raise over $300,000 through this event to support Defenders’ mission! We truly couldn’t do our work to protect imperiled wildlife and their habitats without you!