Meet the Midwest Region's Champions

Congratulations to Our 2007 Recovery Champions!

Recovery Champions are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees and partners who are making significant contributions to the recovery of native endangered or threatened species. These individuals represent a small portion of those who are dedicated to endangered and threatened species recovery throughout the Nation. To see the complete list of all 2007 Recovery Champions, visit the national site.

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John Christian
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Fort Snelling, Minnesota

Whooping crane

John Christian’s Recovery Champion award is based on his dedication to the recovery of the whooping crane. His tireless efforts have brought together a diverse group of partners to create an organization that has led a reintroduction and recovery effort for the crane.

This endeavor has overseen raising young whooping cranes to providing intensive flight training at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, and through long and occasionally dangerous trips, leading the endangered birds to their wintering grounds in the Florida peninsula.

These efforts have resulted in a substantial growth in the population of the species, including milestone events such as the first successful nesting and fledging of a whooping crane east of the Mississippi River in over 80 years.

 

Douglas Bos
Rock County Land Management Office
Luverne, Minnesota

Topeka shiner

Douglas Bos is recognized for his contributions to the recovery of the Topeka shiner. His efforts have been instrumental in bringing county feedlots into compliance with the State’s feedlot rules, achieving reduced levels of runoff that are positively affecting the water quality and habitat of this endangered native fish.

Bos’ leadership has brought together government agencies and private enterprises to leverage each partner’s efforts to achieve greater protection for the Topeka shiner and other aquatic species. It is in large part through his ability to attain this level of cooperation among all stakeholders that the Topeka shiner is coming back from the brink of extinction.

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