Their background in the plant nursery business in South Florida positions them nicely for refuge work. That’s the equivalent of roughly five full-time positions which ends up saving the Service tens of thousands of dollars in salaries and expenses. In all, the Brookses have spent more than 10,000 hours as resident volunteers. They do it all: leading tram tours for visitors mowing grass conducting invasive reptile surveys and maintaining boardwalks and pavilions. Roger and Janice Brooks have been volunteering every winter at the South Florida refuge since 2014. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, fortunately, has two. Marshall Loxahatchee NWRĮvery refuge needs a Brooks. Honor Award for Volunteer Service - Team Janice and Roger Brooks Arthur R. Joseph epitomizes the Service’s dedication to the conservation and enjoyment of our natural resources. More than 150 amateur photographers attended.
Honor mount and blade free#
Oh, Joseph also boosted the refuge’s wildlife photography program by presenting two, free photo workshops. The impact of Joseph’s work is felt refuge-wide: better quality habitat for wintering waterfowl, Sandhill cranes, and endangered Whooping cranes easier access for hunters and fishers and improving photo opportunities for nature lovers. That’s about $100,000 in staffing costs alone the last two years. In all, Joseph willingly contributed 2,800 hours of volunteer work to the refuge – time Wheeler staffers could spend on other, critical projects. An electrical contractor would’ve charged upwards of $10,000 for the work. He also retrofitted all of the interior lighting at the Visitor Center and refuge headquarters with LED lights. Impoundments, replacing water control structures and fixing roads and pumps. Joseph is certified on all of the refuge’s heavy equipment, a talent he puts to work maintaining His dedication to Wheeler, though, is his most valuable attribute. It helps that Joseph is a certified electrician whose background includes owning a machine shop.
Honor mount and blade upgrade#
He’s the jack-of-all-trades volunteer at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge inĪlabama, the man called upon to fix roads, upgrade lighting, and build photo blinds.
Wildlife refuges depend on the selfless work of volunteers who pick up trash, educate the public and eradicate invasive plants.