NOAA's Environmental Heroes for the Year 2001

From coast to coast across the USA, NOAA this year presented its Environmental Hero Award to 27 individuals and organizations. The award is given annually to those who volunteer their time to help NOAA accomplish its mission of describing, predicting and protecting the nation's environment.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

1) Don Adams of the Barstow, Illinois, fire department has been instrumental in helping the National Weather Service in Davenport with major late winter ice jam flooding events on the Rock River. Two of these events in February 1997 and February 2001 involved significant evacuations.

2) Mike Albers, of Colby, Kansas, has been an outstanding National Weather Service volunteer for the past 20 years. He is director of the amateur radio network for Skywarn operations in Thomas County, Kansas. This club has assisted in protecting lives and property across northwest Kansas, especially during severe weather season.

3) Bolivar County, Miss., Emergency Operations Response Team. When severe storms approach Bolivar County, the National Weather Service can almost be assured that storm reports will be relayed in a timely and accurate manner. This was the case in January 1999 when two F1 tornadoes moved through the county. The real-time reports from the team made it possible for the NWS to issue timely updates for the tornadoes.

4) Ray Burkholder of Pandora, Ohio, has been taking weather observations for more than 50 years. He's never missed making the midnight observations. He's a legend in northwest Ohio.

5) Florida Beach Patrol Chiefs Association has been helping the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Miami, Fla., for the past ten years in the mutual interest of beach safety. Rip currents, on average, have been more deadly in Florida than hurricanes, lightning and other hazards.

6) Richard Hendrickson of Bridgehampton, NY, has been making weather observations for the National Weather Service for some 70 years. He's been a weather observer longer than anyone in New York state.

7) The Panzenhagen Family. Roy Panzenhagen started making river level observations for the Grand River at Comstock Park, Mich., in 1938. He did this for 40 years before his death in 1978. His wife, Bertha, continues the tradition today. When the rivers rises, Bertha reads river gauges installed in her backyard and reports the information to the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Grand Rapids, Mich.

8) Jerry Roberson of Oil Trough, Ark., has been an expert storm spotter in an area where tornadoes frequently develop. His timely report of a spotted tornado helped the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Little Rock, Ark., to issue an immediate tornado warning.

NOAA Research

9) Ruperto Chaparro with the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program, has dedicated a great deal of time to the study of beach management practices within and outside Puerto Rico.

10) Ana Navarro, a chemical oceanographer and water quality specialist, is committed to facilitating community participation in the conservation of Puerto Rico's water resources.

11) Edgardo Ojeda, a doctoral candidate in fisheries biology at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, has dedicated himself to the long-term sustainability of Puerto Rico fisheries resources.

12) Richard Behnke has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining the inter-agency National Space Weather Program that benefits NOAA and the nation. This program helps to protect technological systems and humans from adverse effects of the space environment.

National Ocean Service

13) Deborah Pardike was one of the most influential local citizens involved in the designation of NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve. She volunteered countless hours providing input to NOAA and the state of Michigan on the sanctuary proposal.

14) Robert Michelson, a professional photographer and videographer, who lives in Braintree, Mass., has been a staunch advocate and supporter of NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. He's donated significant amounts of time, including wildlife and underwater photography and video to the sanctuary.

15) Francis "Paul" Spadaro is the president of the Magothy River Association. He formed a strong all-volunteer network made up of recreational, Navy and NOAA divers to help restore oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.

16) Bob Breen has worked closely with NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. He's been instrumental during oil spills, and he teaches a special course at a local high school for children interested in marine biology and the ocean.

17) Richie Moretti is the founder of the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Fla., which opened in 1986. He's recruited many volunteers to assist with sea turtle surgery, care and feeding, and public outreach.

18) Theodore Below, an ornithologist, has studied bird populations of NOAA's Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for more than 25 years. At age 77, he is still plain spoken and passionate about the birds.

NOAA Fisheries

19) POSTHUMOUS AWARD
Alice Morgan Carson Hiscock died recently at 92. Her service and dedication to the Cape Cod, Mass., maritime community of Chatham, and her passion for preservation of the natural environment, will be long remembered.

20) BAYNET is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating people from all over the world about the wonders of our oceans and the living marine resources in the Monterey Bay region of California. The program was organized in 1996 and consists solely of volunteers. In 2000, these volunteers donated 1,700 hours, and they've spoken with more than 200,000 visitors during the program's first four years.

21) Richard Gienger has been instrumental to NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Region in helping to strengthen forest practice rules to reduce the likelihood of take of coho salmon. His efforts have helped NOAA Fisheries in its mission of conserving, restoring and recovering listed salmonids.

22) Margie Stinson has volunteered her time to develop a course for high school and college students on boating, navigation and other skills which help NOAA Fisheries scientists conduct sea turtle research in San Diego Bay.

23) Robert Baiocchi has dedicated his efforts to challenging new water rights applications in California streams for the protection of salmon and steelhead, which has greatly benefited the Southwest Region of NOAA Fisheries.

24) Marine Mammal Care Center of Sausalito, Calif., for the past 26 years has dedicated its work to rescuing and treating ill, injured or orphaned marine mammals and returning them to the wild as healthy animals. In 2000, volunteers worked more than 87,000 hours.

25) John Sayre has donated countless hours of personal time and expertise in helping NOAA Fisheries enhance and facilitate habitat restoration, conservation and education projects that benefit salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

26) Mari Lou Livingood has volunteered many hours of her time and provided her expertise to enhance and facilitate habitat restoration, conservation and education projects that benefits NOAA trust resources in Virginia. She's been instrumental in organizing the rescue of wetland vegetation destined to be destroyed with the reconstruction of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which connects Maryland and Virginia near Washington, DC.

Sea Grant

27) Barbara Doll has volunteered her time to the North Carolina Sea Grant Program in Raleigh, N.C., to help the community focus attention on critical coastal water quality issues. She advises North Carolina students on curriculum paths and graduate projects in order to help them realize their environmental career objectives.