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TOWER—A longtime Tower resident has received one of the most prestigious awards among Minnesota ornithologists. Steve Wilson, who recently retired as regional manager of the Department of Natural …
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TOWER—A longtime Tower resident has received one of the most prestigious awards among Minnesota ornithologists. Steve Wilson, who recently retired as regional manager of the Department of Natural Resources’ Scientific and Natural Area Program, accepted the 2014 T.S. Roberts Memorial Award at a ceremony held earlier this month, in St. Paul.
The annual award is given by the Minnesota Ornithologists Union to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the understanding of birds in Minnesota.
The award is named for Thomas Sadler Roberts, an influential Minneapolis physician and early naturalist, who was instrumental in documenting the early Minnesota landscape and its wildlife, particularly birds. He wrote what is still considered the definitive book on the distribution of birds in Minnesota in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and he helped launch the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota, which still houses some of his collections.
Wilson, a longtime member of the MOU, has made significant contributions of his own, including his extensive documentation of the status of the boreal owl and the spruce grouse in northeastern Minnesota. He is also the co-founder, with his wife Mary Shedd, of the Isabella Christmas Bird Count, which has become one of the most celebrated Christmas counts in the state. The 33rd consecutive Isabella count is set for Jan. 3.
In introducing Wilson, friend and fellow birding enthusiast, Chuck Neil, of Embarrass, described Wilson as a dedicated scientist, noting that for 30 straight years he has conducted multiple breeding bird surveys across some of the most remote terrain in the state. For each survey, Wilson must start the morning as early as 2 a.m., spending hours listening at dozens of pre-determined stops. The consistency and longevity of Wilson’s efforts makes his work especially valuable to science, noted Neil.
As an active member in the development of the Breeding Bird Atlas, Wilson spent countless hours documenting breeding birds in a number of established blocks. In the block that included Tower, Wilson documented an amazing 129 different species of birds, with 110 probable nestings, both representing the highest numbers recorded in the state.