Honoring Conservation Heroes

Last week, Defenders hosted our annual Wildlife Conservation Awards Dinner at the Mayflower Hotel here in Washington, DC. This annual event is a wonderful opportunity to gather together with our Board of Directors, National Council, members of Congress and other supporters to celebrate Defenders’ accomplishments and to honor members of the conservation community for their unparalleled contributions to wildlife and land conservation. Here’s a quick look at the award winners this year.

Spirit of Defenders Legacy Award – Mike Finley

“Without him at the helm as superintendent of Yellowstone National Park over twenty years ago, I truly doubt wolves would be running wild in the Northern Rockies today.” – Jamie Rappaport Clark

In his decades of conservation work with the National Park Service, Mike Finley was entrusted with the care and protection of some of our nation’s most iconic wild places, including Assateague National Seashore, and Yosemite and Everglades National Parks. In the seven years he spent at the head of Yellowstone National Park, he oversaw the reintroduction of gray wolves to the lower 48 – an incredible conservation success story with benefits far beyond Yellowstone itself. Today, in his work with the Turner Foundation, he helps plan initiatives to protect wildlife on private and public lands alike, as well as to restore endangered species and establish protected marine habitats. With that kind of conservation legacy behind him, it’s only fitting that we honored Mr. Finley with our Legacy Award this year.

Spirit of Defenders Public Service Award– U.S. Rep Raúl M. Grijalva

In a year where the Endangered Species Act, our nation’s most important environmental law, has been under more persistent legislative attacks than ever before, it’s enormously refreshing to see an elected official take a stand for wildlife. Congressman Grijalva is one of the few representatives on Capitol Hill that has made protecting wildlife and the environment his priorities. From calling for closer oversight of oil and gas drilling, to advocating for greater funding for public lands, to defending the Endangered Species Act against one relentless attack after another, he’s exactly the ally we need in Congress. We wish there were more like him, and were very pleased to present him with our Public Service Award.

Spirit of Defenders Science Award – Dr. Clait Braun

A bird as iconic and endangered as the sage-grouse needs all the friends it can get – and it certainly has one in Dr. Clait Braun. Sage-grouse populations have declined by an estimated 98 percent since Lewis and Clark reported seeing them in 1806. And the fact that we know as much – and care as much – about this conservation emergency is a testament to Dr. Braun’s 40+ years of research. A dedicated scientist and public servant, he has published hundreds of peer-reviewed articles and critiqued sage-grouse conservation strategies. His work is marked by scientific rigor and unbending advocacy for the birds that have lost so much of their habitat to land use and development, and we were privileged to present him with our Science Award.

Spirit of Defenders Citizen Advocacy Award – The Haverfield Family

This year, the Citizen Advocacy Award went to a very special family from the plains of Kansas. Driven by the passion of Larry Haverfield, this family has stood up to county, state and federal officials, neighbors, lawyers and even state judges, advocating for what they believe in: Protecting the prairie grasslands and the wildlife that rely on them for survival. When the state wanted to kill all prairie dogs on their land, the Haverfields not only stopped them, but encouraged this keystone species to grow and prosper. Combined with their ranching practices, which they altered to protect native wildlife, their efforts have restored the ecosystem to its natural state, and eventually allowed for the reintroduction of endangered black-footed ferrets. Today, the 10,000-acre grassland they ranch is the most wildlife-rich site for miles around, with the state’s largest prairie dog colonies, as well as teeming populations of swift fox, burrowing owls, ferruginous hawks and golden eagles. It has been our honor to work with the Haverfield family for years as they create new models of profitable ranch management that will keep grasslands – and grassland creatures and the people who live there – alive for generations to come.

Congratulations to the 2015 honorees – we are so grateful for your inspiring leadership and advocacy! Thank you to everyone who supports our mission and our work throughout the year! We truly couldn’t protect imperiled wildlife and their habitats without you!