Volunteer of
the Year - Bud Queen
Bud Queen has been described as a man with his hand out,
not to receive, but to give. He currently serves as board member and chairman
of the water quality committee for the High Falls Lake Association. He
has served as president, vice-president and board member of the Georgia
Wilderness Society, a member of the Monroe County Greenspace Committee
and a member of the RiversAlive Advisory Board. He was winner of the Georgia
Wilderness Society’s 2003 Gene Espy award for Environmental Stewardship.
He continues to offer his service and years of experience, knowledge and
skill to a number of organizations, projects and community events. This
includes volunteering his time at every arising opportunity if not already
discovering ways to develop the opportunities themselves. Bud is a natural
leader and his compassionate and outgoing personality makes him the perfect
candidate for teaching others how to take a more active role in the pursuit
of a cleaner, healthier world. In 2005, he helped the Butts County Henderson
Middle School environmental program with the adoption and monitoring of
a local stream. He collects water samples from many lakes and rivers within
the region and is the only Adopt-A-Stream certified Chemical trainer in
the Upper-Middle Ocmulgee watershed, passing on his expertise so that others
may become certified monitors. Bud is an inspiration to others working
to protect Georgia’s rivers.
Conservationist
of the Year - Ann Bergstrom, Executive Director of Chattahoochee
Nature Center
Ann Bergstrom, Director of the Chattahoochee Nature Center for almost 6
years, has provided exemplary leadership and dedication to working for the
Chattahoochee River. She is known for her vision, innovative strategies,
collaborative work, and desire to be part of the solution. Her tireless commitment
has motivated and inspired her staff, volunteers and board. She has built
a team that is focused on educating the public about the river and its importance
and has spent many hours herself advocating for the river. Under her leadership,
the center has undergone a significant transformation that could only have
been made possible with the right combination of determination, efficiency
and enthusiasm. As an educational resource, the Chattahoochee Nature Center
has expanded its public outreach and grown its membership to more than 2,000
families. To accommodate this new popularity, the Center is gathering capital
for a new building that will allow for new programs related to protection
of our watersheds. With Ann’s resourcefulness and leadership, this
goal will undoubtedly be realized.
Watershed Group of the Year - Upper Oconee Watershed
Network
From Back Left: John Kominoski. Margaret Myszewski, Bruno Giri, Lorenza
Rozier, Brady Mattsson and Mark McConnell
From Front Left: Brenda Rashleigh, Elizabeth Little, Jessica Sterling Not
Pictured: Kathy Schroer, Jim Weaver
The Upper Oconee Watershed Network (UOWN) is an Athens-based,
non-profit organization run by a 20-member, all volunteer Board of Directors
working to protect the Oconee River through a variety of activities focused
on encouraging public awareness and involvement. UOWN has played a major
role in the education of local citizens about water quality issues in the
Upper Oconee River watershed. UOWN has always worked hard to establish
strong partnerships other groups and local officials to solve problems
and enable citizens to participate in water quality monitoring. UOWN has
an active monitoring program that has existed for over seven years. UOWN
is responsible for monitoring the slow recovery of Hunnicutt Creek after
a major oil spill that left it significantly polluted. In 2004, through
careful monitoring and surveillance, UOWN volunteers helped locate an overflowing
sewer that had been leaking into Trail Creek. Working in cooperation with
Athens Clarke County, the sewer was repaired and bacteria levels quickly
decreased in the stream. Also, following the 2004 UOWN River Rendezvous
event, it was observed that a stream sample from one site at the Botanical
Garden of Georgia had an anomalously high level of dissolved nitrate. Follow
up studies conducted by UOWN volunteers revealed that the pattern of contamination
in the stream and it’s tributaries revealed the likely cause to be
one or more nearby agricultural farms operated by the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences of the University of Georgia. Since the disclosure
of this problem, UOWN volunteers have worked with the University to further
examine the problem. UOWN continues to watch over the Oconee River and
its watershed to ensure protection of water quality.
