The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today recognized biologists in New Jersey and New York for their exceptional efforts to conserve and protect the Northeast’s rarest fish, wildlife and plants by designating them 2015 Recovery Champions. Award winners Christopher Dobony of the U.S. Army Fort Drum Military Installation and Wendy Walsh of the Service’s New Jersey Field Office were among 16 individuals and teams honored across the nation.
"Conserving our nation's imperiled species is one of the toughest challenges of our time," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. "The recipients of this award have dedicated their lives to this task and we are eternally grateful for their tenacity, dedication and passion for safeguarding hundreds of species of native wildlife and the wild places they call home."
Dobony’s (pictured right) research and monitoring work on the endangered Indiana bat has greatly improved understanding of the bat’s needs and contributed to recovery of the species. Additionally, through his efforts, the Fort Drum installation has shown national leadership in the battle against the devastating white-nose syndrome. The installation is one of the few sites in the country with critical acoustic, netting and colony count data from before and after the discovery of the disease.
“Biologist Chris Dobony is known as being solution-oriented, a key factor of his success in achieving conservation of natural resources while meeting the needs of the Army,” said Wendi Weber, the Service’s Northeast Regional Director. “His work and partnerships will, in no small part, advance our efforts to conserve bats.”
Walsh (pictured left) has dedicated much of her time with the Service to advancing the recovery of the piping plover, swamp pink, seabeach amaranth, and most recently, the red knot. As the lead biologist for the red knot, Walsh produced a final rule that was widely acclaimed for its critical analysis, particularly with regard to the project effects of climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change on this wide-ranging species. Her efforts to incorporate long-term conservation measures in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are bringing the threatened piping plover and seabeach amaranth closer to recovery.
“Throughout Wendy Walsh’s tenure as an endangered species biologist, she has communicated a clear vision of what is needed to recover these rare plants and animals, and has maintained the highest standards for scientific rigor by inviting diverse expertise throughout all aspects of recovery planning and implementation,” Weber said.
The Recovery Champion awards began in 2002 as a one-time recognition for Service staff members for their achievements in conserving listed species. However, in 2007, the program was expanded to honor Service partners as well, recognizing their essential role in the recovery of threatened and endangered species.
For information about the 2015 Recovery Champions, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/recovery-champions/index.html.
