2025 Winners

Brad Waggoner and George Gerdts

Kingfisher Awards were presented to Brad Waggoner and George Gerdts by last year’s recipient, Jamie Acker, at the May general meeting. The Kingfisher Award is Kitsap Audubon’s highest honor and recognizes individuals who have given outstanding service to Kitsap Audubon for five or more years. George, Brad and Jamie are all well-known in the birding community as long-time leaders, educators, mentors and respected authorities on birds and their behavior. In making the presentation, Jamie had this to say about George and Brad and their long-time friendship and association: “As last year’s recipient of the Kingfisher award it is my privilege to present this year’s award to my two best friends and birding companions, George Gerdts and Brad Waggoner.”

Brad Waggoner has been a member of Kitsap Audubon for 20 years and has also led numerous field trips for KAS. He is the CBC leader for the Bremerton area and has been for many years. He and George have both been expert resources for KAS in helping answer bird related questions. By far, Brad’s greatest contribution to the birding community is bigger than KAS. He is an eBird reviewer, one of those unsung heroes in the birding community. He is the one who reviews those questionable eBird reports, contacts the submitter, and politely asks them for more details about entries like 20 Ring-billed Gulls at Point No Point, or informs them that just because Merlin says it was an unseen chipping sparrow, could it have been a junco? Brad devotes countless hours to this task, all to help keep eBird as a sound database.

George Gerdts has been a member of Kitsap Audubon for 40 years and has led numerous field trips for KAS. He led trips to Fort Flagler, and my favorite, the circumnavigation of Bainbridge Island. In summer, his trip out of Port Townsend around Protection Island was also a favorite. He and I led many owl prowls together and taught several owl classes “Denizens of the Dark” through the BIPRD. George was also the leader for the north Bainbridge CBC for 40 years. He also helps maintain the Kitsap County bird list. Mostly though, I think of George as a teacher and educator. A field trip with George is more than just about the birds – it is birds, plants, trees, and history. Over twenty years ago a Golden-winged Warbler initiated what is now a monthly bird survey at Restoration Point with George and Brad. This is one of the longest running regular surveys in the state, providing long-term census data to the eBird data base.

Awards

The Kingfisher Award is Kitsap Audubon Society’s highest honor, and is awarded each year to an individual or couple for outstanding dedication and service to KAS and its mission for at least five years. The award is presented at our annual general membership dinner meeting in May. To be considered, the candidate should have demonstrated the following characteristics:

Has actively participated in the chapter for at least 5 years.
Has produced work of high quality.
Has demonstrated the ability to complete tasks responsibly and in a timely fashion.
Has advocated for wildlife and for the environment.
Has shown a dedication to the KAS chapter.

If you have any nominations for the next Kingfisher Award please send them to info@kitsapaudubon.org. Many people work very hard to make KAS the great chapter it is, and we want no one to be overlooked. Thanks! We appreciate your help. See below for past winners.

2024 Winner

Jamie AcKer

The 2024 Kingfisher Award was presented to Jamie Acker at the May 2024 meeting of the Kitsap Audubon Society by previous recipient Lynn Willmott. This is Kitsap Audubon’s highest honor and is given annually to an individual or couple who have given outstanding service to Kitsap Audubon for five or more years. Jamie Acker is a long-time member of Kitsap Audubon who has been leading owling and Kitsap Audubon Christmas Bird Counts for nearly 30 years. Jamie began banding and surveying owls 25 years ago and has published numerous papers based on his research. Kitsap Audubon helped fund telemetry equipment for his surveys. He has given many presentations to Kitsap Audubon and other organizations and taught classes on Washington owls for the Seattle Master Birders Program. In 2020 Jamie came to the Kitsap Audubon Board with a proposed Motus Wildlife Tracking Station at Point-No-Point County Park in Hansville. The Kitsap Audubon Board agreed to fund and sponsor the project. Thanks to Jamie’s diligence and determination our new Motus station was recently installed. It became a part of an expanding global network that allows wildlife scientists to track suitably tagged birds, bats and butterflies and gain invaluable information about the behavior and health of birds and wildlife.

2023 Winner

Sandy Pavey

The 2023 Kingfisher Award was presented to Sandy Pavey at the May 2023 Hybrid meeting of the Kitsap Audubon Society. Sandy has been Kitsap Audubon’s Purple Martin Chair since February 2010, 13 years. In that role, she leads the team of volunteers that maintains the Brownsville Purple Martin colony, one of four colonies funded by Kitsap Audubon and maintained by Kitsap Audubon volunteers. In addition to the Brownsville Marina colony, Kitsap Audubon supports colonies in Poulsbo’s Oyster Plant Park, the Seabeck marina, and Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island. As Chair, Sandy assists other volunteers with expert guidance, education and training, as well assessment of potential sites. She is currently working with Cathy Cohoon to re-establish a former Kitsap Audubon Purple Martin colony in Silverdale. Sandy says she first became infatuated with Purple Martins in Virginia when one of her coworkers mentioned that she had a perfect setting for Purple Martin houses. Not knowing anything about these birds, she and her husband Robert did some research and installed an apartment-style house with eight compartments. The apartments were so successful in attracting Purple Martins they put up more and were hooked! Soon after moving to Poulsbo 15 years ago she attended a meeting of Kitsap Audubon and learned that Purple Martins migrate here as well. Once she witnessed the Kitsap Audubon colonies in Poulsbo, Brownsville, and Seabeck she wanted to get involved. She and Robert now maintain the colony at Brownsville marina. This includes monitoring their arrival, their nesting activity, and successes, and cleaning out their gourds at the end of the season in preparation for the next year. Sandy and her husband also installed four gourds on their own property on Liberty Bay and look forward to the return of the Purple Martins each year.

Past Kingfisher Award Winners:

2022- Jennifer Standish
2021- Lynn Willmott
2020 - Connie Bickerton
2019 - Diane Bachen
2018 - Al Westphal
2017 - Michael Szerlog
2016 - Janine Schutt
2015 - Sharron Ham
2014 - Milly (Renee) Bellemere and Bob (Robert) Schumacher
2013 – Judy & Don Willott
2012 – Vic Ulsh
2011 – Byron & Sara Kane
2010 – Jim Ullrich
2009 – Sandy & Gene Bullock
2008 – Dawn & Hans Hansen
2007 – Dee & John Finkbeiner
2006 – Glenn Anderson
2005 – Richard Anderson
2004 – Fay & Ernie Linger
2003 – Nancy Ladenberger
2002 – Morry Walsh
2001 – Morna Blessing
2000 – John & Claudia McDonald
1999 – Ivan & Phyllis Summers
1998 – Paul & Joan Carson
1997 – Jack & Martina Hendry
1996 – Ken Short
1995 – Frank Beyer