Following a one-year hiatus due to the coronavirus emergency, Delaware Audubon resumed its tradition of an annual awards dinner on Dec. 4 at Deerfield in Newark. This year, we were privileged to present our Conservation Award to the acclaimed author Dr. Doug Tallamy of the Department of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware.
Since 1984, Delaware Audubon has been presenting an annual Conservation Award to an individual or to a group that has made a significant contribution to the protection of Delaware’s environment. The honorees include both conservation advocates and those who made their contributions working in the field. Dr. Tallamy is now a member of the Conservation Award class that includes notables such as Russell Peterson and Joseph Biden.
A brief summary of the past year’s activities included our strong support of Delaware’s invasive-plant bill, introduced by Sen. Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown, and signed into law by Gov. John Carney.
Dr. Tallamy was the inspiration for Sen. Hansen’s work in establishing the Statewide Ecological Extinction Task Force, which evolved into the Delaware Native Species Commission. The list of plant species restricted by the invasive-plant bill was approved by members of the commission.
Dr. Tallamy is the author of the books “Bringing Nature Home,” “Nature’s Best Hope” and “The Nature of Oaks.” He teaches and mentors graduate students at the University of Delaware and travels extensively across the country giving presentations about his research, focusing on the key role that insects play in maintaining important balances in nature. The ongoing extinction of insect species has dire implications for the survival of other species of plant and animal life, including mankind.
Dr. Tallamy is the lead advocate for the Homegrown National Park, which is his idea for a grassroots call to action to regenerate biodiversity. Since most of the land east of the Mississippi River is privately owned, it is essential for private landowners to contribute to conservation efforts by restoring at least portions of their property to productive environmental use.
Steve Cottrell is the president of the Delaware Audubon Society.
