TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State Governor Jeb Bush presented St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Catherine "Katie" Sollohub with the Governors Points of Light Award by in recognition of her thirteen years of volunteer service at the Refuge.
The armored snail is found only in Piney and Limestone creeks and has never been seen outside this area. The slender campeloma is believed to survive only in the middle to lower reaches of Round Island, Piney, and Limestone creeks. The historic range of this species has been reduced by at least three-quarters and remaining populations are now separated by the Wheeler Reservoir.
"I feel very humble about this," said Sollohub. "Theres a lot of people who do a whole lot more."
"It isnt just me," she said. "We try to get the children to appreciate what they have.and St. Marks is it. I am inspired about Florida."
The Governors Points of Light Award recognizes a Florida resident or organization that demonstrates exemplary service to the community. The award itself, was first established under the administration of President George Bush. The former Presidents son, Jeb Bush, is the first Governor to launch the award at the state level. The award was presented for the first time at the state level to Vertyle Moss, last February, in recognition of her volunteer work with foster children.
Katie Sollohub, 83, is the second recipient of the Governors Points of Light Award. Her acceptance of the award coincided with the beginning of Floridas "Volunteer Week." In presenting the award to Sollohub, Governor Bush acknowledged her thirteen years of dedicated volunteer service at the St. Marks NWR. He specifically mentioned her work in assisting the Refuge with their environmental education programs, senior tour groups and special events. He praised her dedication to volunteerism and ended by challenging the rest of the state to join her in volunteering in and around their communities.
Accompanying Sollohub at the presentation was her husband, Juilan, her daughter, Elaine Darcy, daughter-in-law, Wonja Sollohub, Refuge Manager James Burnett, and Refuge Volunteer Coordinator Shawn Gillette.
Immediately following the presentation, she was invited to attend a meeting of the Florida Cabinet, where Governor Bush again publicly acknowledged her volunteer contributions to St. Marks NWR, and concluded his acknowledgment by saying that volunteers like Sollohub "...continue to keep Florida a true paradise for all."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprised of more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fish and wildlife management assistance offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.
