Director Hall announced the 2006 Recovery Champion award recipients on March 22, 2007 and on April 20, 2007.  Assistant Director Bryan Arroyo presented one of the awards to Dr. Patrick Burchfield, director of the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.  Dr. Burchfield has made significant contributions to the recovery of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle for over 25 years.  The presentation was made at a “Toast and Roast Celebration” organized by Mr. Les Hodgson, a member of the Kemp’s Recovery Team, at the University of Texas, Southmost College.  Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio, Texas Parks and Wildlife’s coastal coordinator Mike Ray, representatives from the sea turtle nesting beaches near Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, as well as many of Dr. Burchfield’s friends and family members attended the celebration. 

Several contributors and cooperators in the recovery efforts for the Kemp’s ridley sponsored the celebration, including; Chase Bank, Long Chilton LLP, Marco Sales, Inc., Ocean Trust, Sea Turtle, Inc., Southern Shrimp Alliance, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Shrimp Association, The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, Wild American Shrimp, Inc., and the Valley Zoological Society.