News Release 2005
June 3
Contact:
Ellen Fennell (efennell@audubon.org)
or Suzanne Langley (slangley@audubon.org)
Audubon Arkansas
(501) 244-2229
Audubon Arkansas to honor
James, Shepherd during
Centennial Awards Dinner
in Fayetteville October 21
Little Rock, AR – Audubon Arkansas will recognize
two of the state's significant researchers and conservationists
during the Audubon Centennial Awards Dinner scheduled
for Friday, October 21 in Fayetteville.
Dr. Douglas James, a renowned researcher and professor
at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, will
receive Audubon's Robert Shults Award for distinguished
service; and, Bill Shepherd, founding chairman of
the scientific group charged with establishing important
bird areas (IBAs) in Arkansas, Audubon's IBA Technical
Advisory Committee, will be the inaugural recipient
of the Bill Shepherd Award for Outstanding Volunteer.
The Audubon Centennial Awards Dinner, named in celebration
of the organization's centennial year of protecting
birds, wildlife and the habitat that supports them,
will draw special guests including John Flicker,
president of the National Audubon Society. This is
only the second time distinguished service awards
have been given by the Audubon Arkansas Board of
Directors since the state office was founded in 2001.
Dr. Douglas James, Distinguished Professor of Zoology
at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (UAF),
best known as the senior author of “Arkansas Birds:
Their Distribution and Abundance.” Co-authored by
Joseph Neal, “Arkansas Birds” is the standard reference
on bird life in Arkansas. James has taught at UAF
in his areas of expertise (ecology, ornithology and
vertebrate biology) since 1953. He has served as
visiting scholar to the University of Cambridge,
authored more than 80 articles published in ecological
and ornithological research journals, and graduated
a record number of doctoral students for the UAF
Department of Biological Sciences.
When Audubon's 25 th state field office opened in
Arkansas, Bill Shepherd recruited the state's premiere
ornithologists to serve on the Technical Advisory
Committee of the IBA Program. During his tenure as
chairman, the committee developed a comprehensive
list of 62 declining bird species in Arkansas and
21 IBAs were named in the state. The award also acknowledges
Shepherd's countless hours spent as a volunteer in
avian research.
The Audubon Centennial Awards Dinner is scheduled
to begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Fayetteville Country
Club. Tickets are available at the cost of $50 per
person and may be ordered by phone (501) 244-2229
or by e-mail ( slangley@audubon.org ).
Audubon Arkansas State Offices are located at 201
E. Markham Street, Suite 450, and a satellite office
is located in Fayetteville at 44 N. School Avenue.
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