³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Announces Winners Of Its Prestigious Callison Award
The awards, which were presented to the winners at the May 2007 ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Global Warming Retreat in Park City, Utah, recognize individuals who have made remarkable contributions to conservation through creativity, coalition building, creative thinking, outreach, and perseverance. Awardees are nominated by their peers in the field – both ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Chapter and state board members and ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ staff.
Diana King is recognized with the 2007 Callison Award for her dedicated service and major contributions to the goals of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ through her sound leadership of the Waimea Valley ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Center. The site of 150 acres of botanical collections, significant historical/cultural sites, rare and endangered native plants and animals, the Center serves 500 visitors a day. Diana's unflagging dedication to staff, visitors and the local community as well as her unparalleled skill in coalition building and strategic negotiation have been key to the success of the Center.
Helen Engle's fifty plus years of environmental activism are an inspiration. She has been the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ matriarch of Washington state, working with ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ staff and volunteers from throughout the region. Her contributions range from her role as founding president of the Tahoma ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Society, to editor of The Towhee newsletter for ten years, to positions as a member of both the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Washington board of stewards and the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ board of directors. Helen's willingness and style of bringing people together and building common consensus have brought about change that no one would have thought possible. In addition, Helen has served on the boards of numerous local, state and regional non-profit and governmental organizations, and has won many awards for her contributions.
As one of the most dedicated and hardest working volunteers in ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, Margery Nicolson's contributions to ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ range far and wide. Margery is a current member of the board for ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Alaska and ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ California, as well as the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's Rowe Sanctuary is perhaps her greatest love. For several weeks each year, she moves to Kearney to help lead field trips and other programs during the Sandhill Crane migration. There, as lead donor for the Ian Nicolson ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Center and a key volunteer leader, Margery inspires one of the largest and most dedicated team of volunteers in ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ.
"This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rachel Carson, and it is a fitting tribute that ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ is recognizing three very special women as recipients of its highest award for ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ volunteers and professionals," said John Flicker, president of the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. "Diana, Helen and Margery's deep commitment to the goals of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ and the cause of conservation are reasons for celebration and I am thrilled to be able to recognize their immense contributions."
The Charles H. Callison award is named after a former executive vice president at ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ. The award was established in 1994 by the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ to give special recognition to an individual or group in recognition of creativity, cooperation, persuasion, patience and perseverance in promoting the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ mission at the local, state, or federal level. Each award winner is presented with a certificate as well as a framed photograph donated by Bill Stripling of Vicksburg, Mississippi, whose photos were featured in the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ magazine feature on the Mississippi River.
For more information about the Callison Award and its recipients, please contact Lynn ltennefoss@audubon.org or 800-542-2748. For more information about the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ, please visit .