Kearns Named DNR Conservationist Of The Year

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PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife Advisory Commission named Greg Kearns, of the Jug Bay National Estuarine Reserve, Conservationist of the Year for 2006.

“This award came as a complete surprise and I hope that it will bring more attention to wetlands habitat restoration,” said Greg Kearns. “It’s important to realize that everything is part of an ecological puzzle that can trigger a chain reaction affecting numerous species,” he added.

Kearns works as a naturalist at Patuxent River Park and a natural history educator in Prince George’s County. Well versed in a variety of conservation issues, his most recognizable contributions include revolutionary studies with the Sora Rail birds and his work on the resident Canada geese population.

“Greg’s seemingly limitless energy and zeal for his work has transferred to the countless students of all ages that visit the park and take a special tour with Greg on the Patuxent River or happen to attend one of the many seminars Greg has given to local bird clubs and other conservation organizations in the area,” said DNR Waterfowl Project Manager Larry Hindman.

For nearly two decades, Greg Kearns conducted field research on the Sora, pioneering successful trapping techniques and making innovations to document the Sora migrations from the Patuxent River marshes for the first time. In the 1990s, he went on to address an alarming decline in wild rice growing in the area that would be detrimental to various species including the Sora, which depends on the fat content in the rice for its fall migration. Working with the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, he formulated a management control plan to manage the Canada geese and restore the wild rice. The restoration ranks as one of the most successful conservation restoration efforts ever accomplished in Maryland.

DNR’s Wildlife Advisory Commission annually awards one individual who has demonstrated exceptional work in the field of wildlife and environmental health Conservationist of the Year.

For more information about the Jug Bay National Estuarine Reserve, visit www.DNR.Maryland.gov/bay/cbnerr/jugbay.asp.

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October 18, 2007

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov