2020 Awards

Among the many accomplishments in 2019, the Sacramento-Shasta Chapter held Wildlife Disease and Toxicology Workshop attended by 30 local wildlife students and professionals raising substantial funds for the Student Chapter. They also held numerous field and science events including: On the Evolution and Conservation of Premature Migration in Pacific Salmon; Selected Aspects on Pond Turtle Nesting Ecology; and Status, Challenges, and Solutions to Reintroducing Central Valley Salmonids. Additional accomplishments include Updating the Chapter bylaws with the Executive Board spending substantial time and effort to ensure that the bylaws reflect the current environments, create a done request form, and reassessing the scholarship process. They released a thrice yearly newsletter and provided numerous donations to organizations including the City Nature Challenge for Sacramento, Creek Week, March for Science, Nature Bowl, education outreach event with Save Our Sandhill Cranes to be conducted in 2020, and finally five travel scholarships.

Since their founding in 1918, Save the Redwoods League, a nonprofit organization, has been singularly focused on protecting redwoods. The League has protected more than 200,000 acres of redwood forests and helped create 66 redwood parks and reserves by purchasing redwood forests and the surrounding land needed to nurture them. They have restored redwood forests by innovating science and technology that can improve stewardship and accelerate forest regeneration. And most important, they have touched the lives of hundreds of millions of people by connecting them to nature. The League’s work is grounded in the principles of conservation biology, research and improving our collective understanding and appreciation of the redwoods.

Jeffery T. Wilcox is a California ecologist who has conducted field work in central California for nearly 30 years. Mr. Wilcox has worked with wildlife species from Mexico (California red-legged frogs) and southern California (spotted skunk and feral pigs) to northern California (California grasslands and declining amphibians). Among fellow ecologists and biologists Jeffery Wilcox has a reputation for being easy to work with, biologically minded, fair and respectful, and above all, interested in the pursuit of knowledge. The style of Mr. Wilcox is one that includes his interest in gaining, but also in disseminating knowledge. Among the numerous letters received for his nomination packet were the following comments:

• Jeff has that uncommon combination of characteristics that, when combined, add up to a very special person.
• Jeff epitomizes the mentor role. Using his own experiences, he guides others.
• He sums up the definition of a mentor, and he is one of the best mentors I have ever met.
• He continuously offers his resources and is unselfish with his wealth and breadth of ecological knowledge.
• He has the ability communicate his expertise in a particularly friendly and welcoming manner.

Dr Clifford has been a wildlife veterinarian with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) since 2009 and senior wildlife veterinarian since 2015. She has received local and international recognition in the field of wildlife veterinary advancement and innovation for her role in the novel care and treatment of burned wildlife, working on emerging wildlife disease and toxicant issues such as Snake Fungal Disease, White Nose Syndrome in bats, canine distemper virus, mange, anticoagulant rodenticide exposure, and ecological impacts of trespass cannabis cultivation. Both at the Department and at UC Davis, Dr. Clifford provides advice and support to graduates students and new professionals through formal participation as a graduate advisor, an assistant professor as a veterinary residency coordinator and through informal coaching and personal encouragement.

John has demonstrated his commitment to TWS-WS since early in his career. He has been a long-standing member of TWS-WS and has held numerous positions on the Board including President-Elect 2010, President 2011, Past President 2012, and Treasurer since 2013. John has served on numerous committees over the years and volunteered at many TWS-WS conferences early in his professional career. Has remained a long-term advocate for the Western Section and a significant influence in Executive Board development, communication and effectiveness and took o the task of finishing getting the Transactions scanned and put online.

John has been a great resource not only for the UC Davis Student Chapter but also the Sacramento Shasta Chapter. He is more than willing to participate in the Student Professional Mixer, student activities, but also in responding to questions from Sacramento-Shasta Chapter members regarding procedures of TWS and Western Section let it be over phone, email or cold beverage.

This award recognizes current TWS members who have distinguished themselves through exceptional service to the wildlife profession and have been members for at least 10 years. TWS Fellows serve as ambassadors of The Wildlife Society and are encouraged to engage in outreach and other activities that will benefit and promote both TWS and the wildlife profession.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes TWS members who have made a long-term commitment to the Society based on at least 20 years of membership and their actions to further the mission of the Society. The member is someone who is/was “always there” and could be counted on to serve the chapter, section, or international organization. Since recipients are selected by the Sections, the Distinguished Service Award provides an opportunity to recognize dedicated individuals who have provided exceptional service primarily to Chapters and/or Sections.