2010 LOUISIANA ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY Awards Recipients

Dr. Jim Ingold,  Carol Lynn Lowery Loker  & LOS Award committee Chair Marty Floyd
 Photo by Donna L. Dittmann

Dr. Jim Ingold,  Carol Lynn Lowery Loker & LOS Award committee Chair Marty Floyd
 Photo by Donna L. Dittmann

2010 Dr. George H. Lowery Award:

The Louisiana Ornithological Society recognizes and honors JAMES L. INGOLD on this 24th day of April 2010 for his lifelong work studying Louisiana birds. Through his active bird banding program in north Louisiana information about migratory patterns, life histories and breeding birds in this region has increased significantly. His innovative research programs in other aspects of birds and bird behavior, including the chemistry of feather pigments, advance our avian knowledge. Furthermore, through his many presentations to the public, his active participation in the Shreveport Society for Nature Study Bird Study Group, his ornithology classes at LSUS and his editorship of the Journal of Louisiana Ornithology, he has inspired and enlightened many persons in the joys of observing birds and encouraged them to conserve these fascinating creatures.

2010 LOS President’s Awards:

Nancy Menasco & Marty Floyd
 Photo by Donna L. Dittmann

Jerry Bertrand  & Marty Floyd
 Photo by Donna L. Dittmann

2010 LOS President’s Awards:

The Louisiana Ornithological Society recognizes and honors NANCY MENASCO on this 24th day of April 2010 for her strong support of wildlife conservation over many years. Since the inception of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge, she has actively aided the refuge both as a volunteer and through various offices in the Friends of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge. Major successes that she led include the renovation of a temporary headquarters for the Refuge and the implementation of an annual avian monitoring program at the Refuge. As President of the Friends since 2007 and editor of its newsletter, she has brought positive attention to the Red River NWR and increased the number of volunteers on key projects.

The Louisiana Ornithological Society recognizes and honors JERRY BERTRAND on this 24th day of April 2010 for his support of wildlife conservation in Louisiana. Not only has he been an active member and leader of the Friends of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge, the support group for the Red River National Wildlife Refuge, but he has also worked on many significant projects at the Refuge - volunteering well over 1000 hours of his time. Several of his major activities include creating trails, renovating the temporary headquarters, leading the Youth Conservation Corps program, maintaining soil impoundments and water control structures, ensuring refuge equipment operates properly and providing logistics for the annual refuge celebrations.

President's Awards Recipients

Hubert Hervey
Photo by: Jeff Trahan

THE FIRST
PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Is Presented To

HUBERT HERVEY

By The
BIRD STUDY GROUP
Shreveport Society for Nature Study, Inc.
On
December 14, 2004

Nomination:

I nominate Hubert Hervey for the BSG's President's award. I believe that Hubert has promoted the BSG and birding in Northwest Louisiana. He has served the BSG as officer, board member, trip leader, count coordinator, and auctioneer. Anyone who has ever been on a birding outing with Hubert knows that he is not only an excellent birder, but for the rest of us, he adds much to the birding experience. What kind of Christmas auction would we have without Hubert raking in the money with his keen wit and charm? Hubert deserves to receive the President's award not only because of his service to the BSG but also his commitment to saving the Interior Least Tern. His dedication to monitoring this species plight on the Red River should serve as an inspiration to the rest of us. He has motored up and down the Red River in the hottest part of the year and still found the motivation to face the bureaucracy that control's the tern's survival. I think the BSG is a better organization by having Hubert as a member and I think we should recognize his efforts with this year's BSG President's Award.

Sincerely,
Amanda Crnkovic

Lifetime Service Awards Recipients

Mac Hardy
Photo by: Jeff Trahan

THE WILL SMOLENSKI
LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD
Is Presented To

LAURENCE M. ''MAC" HARDY

By The
BIRD STUDY GROUP
Shreveport Society for Nature Study, Inc.
On
December 14, 2004


Mac Hardy (left) with Will Smolenski (right)
Photo by: Jeff Trahan

Nominations:

I have only been a member of the BSG since about 1989 - hardly from the beginning. During this time there have been many members who "gave it their all." Among those are Pat Lonnecker, Shirley Huss (who served as membership chair since the beginning and introduced me to Christmas Bird Counts), Will Smolenski (who received the award 2 years ago), Betty Mason (who was treasurer since forever), Larry Raymond, Hubert Hervey (who taught me most of what I know about birding), Bill Wood, and Mac Hardy. There are surely others that I've left off of the list.

Of these, Hubert's work with the Least Tern project is certainly noteworthy. But Mac Hardy is "ever present." Somehow I feel that he has held the BSG together all these years - providing a meeting place, doing much of the behind the scenes work and, of course, maintaining the database. He has led field trips, served as chairman, found speakers, edited the newsletter, and publicized the BSG at every opportunity. I would like to nominate him for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Thanks,
Rosemary Seidler

I nominate Mac Hardy for the Lifetime Service award. Mac has been a BSG member since the beginning. He encompasses everything that the BSG is. I cannot think of the BSG without thinking of Mac. He has served the group as President, Board member, trip leader, Hot Spots editor, and Bird Records coordinator. Mac also does the countless other jobs that are always done, without being asked to do them. The task of maintaining and compiling the bird records is a function that alone deserves recognition. The BSG database has over a 100,000 records. This makes ours a highly valuable scientific resource that Mac takes very seriously as a function of the BSG and as a contribution to science. If you can think of a BSG event, job, or function that Mac hasn't done I bet he would readily volunteer to do it. That is the kind of service that Mac gives the BSG. Mac is an excellent birder and has always acted with the best intent to promote birding and the BSG. I have been fortunate to come into birding with Mac as my mentor. I have birded with him on field trips, on bird counts, in foreign countries, and even while pulling through the fast food drive through. It is from him that I have learned to love birding and the BSG. He is always a teacher. It may be that he is teaching a new birder about birds, an experienced birder about a bird's natural history, or teaching the rest of us by example. He does things for the BSG that know one knows about or notices. He does them for the good of the group, without a thought as to thanks. Lets hope that we all learn this from him.

I believe that Mac Hardy should be awarded our Lifetime Service Award for his commitment and service to the BSG.
Sincerely,
Amanda Crnkovic

Submitted by Bill Wood

I would like to submit the name of Will Smolenski as a nominee for the first Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Bird Study Group. I submit Will's name because of his dedication, hard work, service and accomplishments that include:

1. Will has served the Bird Study Group above and beyond the call of duty serving as a Board member, officer, and in other capacities to ensure the success and growth of the Bird Study Group.

2. Will spearheaded the effort to build the Raptor Rehabilitation facility at Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park and helped build the Bluebird Trail at Bickham Dickson Park.

3. Will has built hundred of bluebird boxes, wren houses, robin platforms and feeders, at his own expense, that have been raffled off at our monthly meetings. I would bet that almost every member has a bird house or feeder that Will built.

4. In addition to providing most of our raffle prizes, Will ran our monthly raffle helping to raise funds for our group. He has most likely raised more money for our group than any other member.

5. Because of Will's donations of bird houses and feeders, he has enhanced the joy we all share in watching birds nest and feed, right in our own backyard.

6. Will handled the bulk mailing of our newsletter as long as I can remember until this past Summer.

7. Will assisted Mac Hardy in gathering bird reports for the Bird Study Group database.

8. Will helped to activate our phone tree service that alerted members to rare bird sighting in our area.

9. Will has always been one of the first to volunteer his services to the benefit of the Bird Study Group.

While I realize that there are other members that have given a lifetime of service to our Bird Study Group, I strongly feel that Will Smolenski is worthy of the nomination of the Bird Study Group's first Lifetime Achievement Award.