Ducks Unlimited Scientist Recognized by Wildlife Society

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Posted by Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited director of science and public policy, Tom Moorman, Ph.D., has won The Wildlife Society’s (TWS) 2012 Jim McDonough Award. Moorman received the award at the TWS annual conference in Portland, Ore., on Monday, Oct. 15.

“Dr. Moorman came into the public spotlight as the leader of DU’s Gulf Coast Oil Spill Response Team in 2010, but his contributions to wildlife management and conservation planning have been known to those in the field for some time,” said Dr. Curtis Hopkins, director of DU’s Southern Region, Moorman’s nominator and a past Jim McDonough Award recipient.

The Jim McDonough Award was created to recognize certified wildlife biologists known among colleagues as solid contributors to wildlife management, but who so far may not have received major awards, citations or prominent recognition.

“Any award like this really reflects the fact that I have been fortunate enough to work with fantastic people,” Moorman said. “There has always been a person or a group of people who have provided education, guidance, friendship and generally set the stage for good work and solid achievements. It is never a solo act—that much I do know.”

Utilizing his extensive experience with waterfowl and wetland research and management, Moorman has guided Ducks Unlimited’s planning and evaluation within the 13-state Southern Region to strengthen the science underlying DU’s conservation programs. By doing so, he has made a marked and tangible difference in the efficiency and impact of waterfowl habitat delivery across the migration and wintering grounds of the Central, Atlantic and Mississippi flyways.

One of his most significant accomplishments was directing in the Southern Region’s rigorous evaluation of recent conservation deliveries and application of adaptive management to existing conservation programs. Because of what Moorman began in 1999, DU continues to use innovative technological solutions and partnerships to answer the question, “What is the real value to waterfowl of the acres we’re putting on the ground?”

“Dr. Moorman continues to be an outstanding example of a consummate and well-rounded wildlife professional, excelling in a variety of important conservation arenas, including restoration of natural systems in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, science-based conservation planning, regional conservation communications and coordination of public policy work,” Hopkins said. “He is respected and admired by wildlife professionals across the country, and we are very pleased to see him receive this well-deserved recognition.”

That widespread respect was evident in the diversity of wildlife professionals who endorsed his award nomination. In addition to Hopkins, endorsers included the late Guy Baldassarre, distinguished professor at the State University of New York; John Thompson, research grade evaluation coordinator with the U.S. Geological Survey; Barry Wilson, coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf Coast Joint Venture; and Jerry Holden, director of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited.

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Andi Cooper
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