The Pelican Island Audubon Society recognizes with awards each year those in the community who have played a part in helping the environment.
Click to view the Annual Awards winners gallery.
Phyllis Stockburger Award: awarded to a long time PIAS member
1984 Janet & Bill Hoeft
1985 John Coulson
1986 Association for Retarded Citizens
1987 Allison Brody
1988 Marion Bria
1990 Barbara Burr
1991 Margaret C. Bowman
1992 Steve Mohler
1993 Sharon Marable
1995 Betsy Pugh
1996 Margaret C. Bowman
1999 Katherine Schenk
2000 Nancy Irvin
2001 Ruth Stanbridge
2002 Ruth Davies
2003 Marge & Jim Robinson
2005 Ellie Van Os
2007 Bud Kleckner
2008 Helen Potter
2011 Christina Purinton
2000 Nancy Irvin
2012 Deborah Ecker
2013 Joe Carroll
2014 Tina Marchese
2015 Elsbeth Eibs
2017 Dr. Richard Sakai
2019 Ruth Moore
2020 Judy Orcutt
2023 David Simpson
Special Service Award (also during 1977-88 referred to as the John Acor Award): to PIAS member(s) who has made special contribution(s) or for outstanding service.
1974 Arna and Patrick Lyons
1974 Anna and John Ruckdeschel, Katherine and George Daulton
1976 Ruth Troutman
1977 Phyllis Stockburger
1978 Guy C. Robinson
1979 Ruth Stanbridge
1980 Frank & Laura Wolcott
1981 Bettina Marchese
1982 Audrey Troutman, Volunteer
1983 Joan Carlson
1984 Phil Seitzer
1985 Ruth Riker
1986 Evelyn Shea
1987 Eleanor Harrington
1988 Art Eno
1990 Alto “Bud” Adams & Family
1990 Marge Konopaska
1991 Nancy Irvin
1992 Jens Tripson
1993 Donna Anderson
1995 Carolyn Corum, Diane Albin, Donna Anderson, Peter O’Bryan
1996 Bill & Betty Gainey, Barbara Burr, Marion Bria
1999 Roland DeBlois
2000 Bill and Betty Ghaney
2002 Patrick Pitts
2003 Melissa Tripson, Ruth Davies, Kevin Doty, Nancy Irvin
2004 Tina Marchese & Joe Carroll
2005 Bob Bruce, Ruth Moore, Bob Montanaro, Bob Smith
2007 Landscaping Committee: Deborah Ecker, David Cox, Jens Tripson, Billi Wagner, Jean Catchpole, Bonnie Veron
2008 Neil Stalter for Grand Harbor Audubon
2009 Billi Wagner
2011 Darlene Halliday for cookbook
2014 Adam Sutherland for building Square Foot Gardening boxes
2016 David Simpson
2017 Bill Loftus for leading the Osprey Watch program at Blue Cypress Lake, organizing field trips, meeting speakers and editing written materials
2018 Donna Halleran
2020 Juanita Baker, Ph.D.
2021 Bonnie Swanson
Board Member of the Year: to a PIAS Board Member
1984 Maxine Mallion
1985 Ray Fernald
1986 Ellie Van Os
1989 Steve Harber
1990 Millicett Lamble
1991 Geneva Acor
1992 Ellen Weigley
1993 Jen Tripson
1995 Nancy Irvin
1996 Bud Kleckner
1999 Agnes Andreae
2003 Jonathan Day
2005 Jens & Melissa Tripson
2007 Deborah Ecker, David Cox
2008 David Cox, Ph.D. for Spoonbill Marsh & SJRWMD/Corrigan issue
2009 Joe Carroll
2011 John Orcutt
2012 Bob Bruce
2013 Peter Sutherland
2014 Graham Cox
2015 Bill Halliday
2016 Bonnie Swanson
2017 Donna Halleran
2018 George Glenn
2019 William Loftus, Ph.D.
2020 Ricky Ray
2021 Steve Goff
2023 Steve Palmquist
Maggy Bowman Conservation Award: to individual or an organization not necessarily a PIAS member who has made outstanding contributions in the area of conservation, promoting environmental concerns or educating the general public in regard to local environmental conditions.
1973 S. Lee Nuzie & Beth Megelin
1974 Mary Beth Herzog
1975 R. Dale Patchett
1976 Joseph D. Carroll
1977 EPA, South Florida Office
1978 Taxpayers Assoc. of Indian River County
1979 Vero Beach Jr. High Ecology Club
1980 Brian Barnett
1981 Reese H. Kessler, DER
1982 Ann Robinson
1983 Ruth Stanbridge
1984 Maggy Bowman
1985-Mary Dow
1986 Hilary Swain
1987 Fl G&WFC (Brian Barnett accepting)
1988 C.O.R.E
1989 Arlo Guthrie
1990 Barbara Holstein
1991 Claude C. “Bud” Kleckner
1992 Reynolds Gervasio, Osceola School
1993 Roland DeBlois, John Orcutt
1995 Janice Broda
1996 Richard Baker
1999 Bud Kleckner
2000 Bruce Wetmore & Jack Taylor
2001 Bonnie Swanson, Principal, Pelican Island Elementary School for work with the Eco-Troop
2002 David Cox
2003 Joe Carroll
2005 Tree Ordinance Committee (Debby Ecker, David Cox, Jean Catchpole, Billi Wagner, Bonnie Veron, Jens Tripson, Richard Baker)
2006 Jim Egan
2007 Ilka Daniel, Jon Moore, for saving the gopher tortoises
2008 Robert Adair for water issues in Indian River County
2009 Keith McCully, Indian River County Stormwater Engineer & Cliff Southard, Indian River County Project Manager for Main Relief Canal Project, Himanshu Mehta, IRC Solid Waste Disposal District for expansion of Recycling and Recovery Programs
2010 Holly Dill
2011 Keith McCulley & Allan Stewart for Algae Farm
2012 Ralph Monticello – Indian River Land Trust
2013 John & Judy Orcutt
2014 Gregory & Helen Wilson for Healing Our World & Ourselves program
2015 Julianne Price, Tony Brown, & Dr. Graham Cox for persistence & helping the quality of life indicators concept progress in the Gifford community and removing 10 acres of junk and old tires next to the Gifford Youth Activity Center
2016 Ken Gonyo
2017 Dr. David Cox for forming the Local Business Alliance for PIAS memberships, Spoonbill Watch, and helping to get the two Critical Wildlife Areas at the Stick Marsh approved
2018 Dr. Edie Widder
2019 Grant Gilmore, Ph.D.
2020 Lisa Rinaman (St. Johns Riverkeeper), Marty Baum (Indian Riverkeeper)
2021 George Glenn
2023 Dan Larson
Environmental Educator: usually to a teacher, for best promoting an attitude of environmental awareness and understanding among his/her students.
1973 Charles Ercolin, Middle Six & Ruth Trembly, Rosewood
1974 Donald R. Clerico
1975 Jackson McAfee, Richard Thomas
1976 Greg W. Smith
1979 Honor Schneider
1981 Seth L. Wineland, ret USFWS
1982 Roy Howard, Principal, Osceola Elementary
1983 Janet Kohler
1984 Alma Carney and Marty Usher
1990 Diane Barile
1991 Bob Schmidt
1992 Corinn Chambless, Glendale Elementary School
1993 George Anderson
1995 Patty Schultz
1996 George Anderson
2003 Teresa Baird, Pelican Island Elementary School
2005 Kevin Sullivan (Vero Beach High School) & Beau Roberts (John Carroll) for Envirothon teams, Janice Broda & Heather Stapleton (ELC), Heidi Evans (Vero Beach Elementary School) teaching environmental songs and dance to K-5th grade students.
2007 Janet Olsson, Sue Richardson
2008 Deborah Ecker for water issues program
2009 Rosemary Badger (ELC naturalist)
2010 Susan DeBlois
2012 Laurie Wykoff & Brad Wright
2013 Janice Broda
2014 Don & Karen Schuster
2015 Dr. Juanita N. Baker for developing and teaching our birding course, bird essay for photo of the month, constructing life-size wooden birds for a bird ring toss at festivals, and teaching kids how to draw birds
2016 Rebecca Marr, Kim Slade, Terry Baird, Dustin Strate, Susan Lovelace, and Elise Carter
2017 Linda Urban for the square foot gardens at Vero Beach Elementary School
2018 Dr. Dennis Hanisak
2019 Katherine Nix
2020 Nathan Daniel Burkett-Cadena, Ph.D.
2021 Diane Goldberg
2023 Alexis Peralta
Environmental Citizen
1991 Joyce Kechner
2007 Dale Simchick
2008 Judy Orcutt, Peter O’Bryan, Amy Thoma for Going Green!
2009 Jimmy Sellers & Micahel Walther, Coastal Tech
2010 Karen Deigl
2011 Steve Goff
2012 Jane Schnee
2013 Paul Dritenbas
2014 Lange Sykes
2015 Steve Goff for years of weekly removing exotic plants from Audubon House and Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area and making a new nature trail for the new Audubon House
2016 Mike & Kristen Beck
2017 Judy Orcutt
2018 Paul Fafeita & Mark Yanno
2019 Wayne Mills
2020 John Nelson
2021 Bruce Sabol & Peter Hinck
2023 Tim Glover
Conservation Journalist
1986 Jim Kirley, Press Journal
1989 Elliot Jones
2001 Walter Eager, Press Journal
2005 Robert Windish
2012 Steve Thomas – Vero Beach 32963
2013 Ed Killer, Press Journal
2014 Press Journal: Cheryl Smith, team leader, Tyler Treadway, lead reporter, Scott Wyland, investigative reporter, Sam Wolfe, visuals, Christin Erazo, digital producer, Ed Killer, outdoors writer, Eve Samples, columnist
2017 Laurence Reisman
2019 Tyler Treadway
2020 Sue Cocking
2021 Mike Winikoff
Environmental Landscaping: either a commercial building or project or a private residence and yard.
1987 Les & Brenda Solin
1992 Indian Trails (Jim & Susie Cain, Developers and Elizabeth Gillik, Landscape Architect)
1993 Allan McCarthy & Lee Rathbun, Native Habitat Landscaping
1995 Indian River Club Bob Swift, Indian River Club
1996 Grove Isle Fishing, Environmental and Wildlife Club (George Mulligan, Cliff Suttle, George Smith)
2003 Allan McCarthy and Lee Rathbun and Louis Schlitt and Bill Bryant
2005 Bainbridge Companies (Vinnie Baffuto and Kimberly Field) for the Estate apartments on 58th Av & 26 St.)
2007 Stan Boling, Brian Freeman, John McCoy, Roland DeBlois (recognizing IRC’s work on the landscape ordinance)
2008 Janice Broda for ORCA grant
2009 Elwood Holzworth & Brenda Davis, Indian River Soil & Water Conservation District
2011 Suzanne Valencia, butterfly garden at Pelican Island NWR
2012 Marie Stiefel, Daniel Ford (Ford & Associates Landscape Design), Michael Brice (Mike’s Landscape Maintenance)
2013 Robin Pelensky
2015 Robin Pelensky & Mark Borak for redoing the landscaping at Oak Park Terrace incorporating native plants that require less water, fertilizers, and pesticides
2017 Ken Gonyo
2018 Barbara Riebe & Ed McCool
2019 Terry Greene
2020 City of Vero Beach
2021 Beth Powell
2023 Stephanie Dunn
President’s Award: the PIAS President may give to deserving person.
1991 Linc & Eloise Stiles
1995 Melissa Godfrey
1996 George Bunnell
2002 Suzanne Linley
2003 Bud Kleckner
2004 Richard Hall
2004 Patricia Sawyer
2005 Commissioners Gary Wheeler, Sandra Bowden, Art Neuberger, and Thomas Lowther (passing the tree ordinance)
2006 George Christopher
2007 Judy Elseroad, Brian Toland
2008 Kathy Wegel, Friends of St. Sebastian River for SJRWMD/Corrigan issue
2009 George Glenn, IRC Attorney’s Office for protecting conservation lands
2010 David Cox, Ph.D.
2011 Grant Gilmore, Ph.D., ORCA preservation
2012 Pat Walther – Carter & Associates
2013 Bob Bruce
2014 Cris Costello & Mary Sphar
2015 Corry Westbrook & Buffy Turner for their tremendous effort in organizing multiple efforts and to stop or delay on the County’s dredge and fill Oslo Boat Ramp expansion project
2016 Donna Halleran
2017 George Glenn for stopping St. Johns River Water Management District Bull Creek land swap and making county water projects more transparent
2018 Bob Montanaro
2019 Steve Palmquist
2020 Laura Moss
2021 Graham Cox, Ph.D.
2023 Dr. Hadi Shalhoub
Eleanor & Bud Kleckner Award
1995 Friends of the Sebastian River
2003 Elsbeth Eibs
2005 Joe Carroll (Birdathon)
2006 Frank Wegel
2007 Jens Tripson
2008 Joel Day, Rick Lucas, Alice Rowe for field trips
2009 Bob Montanaro (OspreyWatch & Florida Cattle Ranch)
2010 Katherine Schenk
2012 Wayne & Eva Sandlin
2014 Peter Sutherland
2015 Janice Broda & Bob Bruce who generously gave both their time and money to support the construction of Audubon House
2016 Corry Westbrook
2017 Dr. Graham Cox
2019 Carla Hahn
2020 Bill Halliday
2023 Dr. Albert Alley
Gift
1976 Mabel Michael
Special Recognition/ Merit/ Appreciation or thanks
1987 Ind. R. Shores for adopting the first turtle lighting ordinance in IRC (George Bunnell Accepting)
1987 Sunbonnet Sue Quilters for quilt donation
1990 Steve Mohler, Elliott Jones, Bruce Wetmore, John Kirchner, Ruth Mead, John Coulson, Eleanor Harrington, Janet & Bill Hoeft, Frank Johnson, Arlo Guthrie, John Evans, Richard Rosendrandz, Paul Smith, Maggy Bowman, Edna Perkins
1993 Holly Dill and Agnes Andreae
1995 Bud Kleckner
1997 Ian Nipper
2003 John Beidler & Doug Carlson, Alice Rowe
2003 For the Pelican Island NWR Centennial Celebration: Pelican Island Preservation Society, Pelican Island Centennial Steering Committee, USFWS (Takako Hashimoto, Paul Tritaik, Joanna Taylor, & Tim Pinion), Press Journal and Florida Today
2004 Juanita & Richard Baker, Anonymous for helping publishing Reflections of Blue Cypress Lake
2005 Robert Adair
2005 Cyndie Delstanches
2005 Roberta Cannon, Judy and Bob Treloar
2006 Ralph King, Bud Kleckner, Marty Smithson, Keith McCully, Kelly Alger, Gary Wheeler
2007 Special Merit: Bob Montanaro/OspreyWatch; For Apprecation of Service: Bob Smith, Lynne Larkin, Janice Broda, Kevin Doty, Andrew Barr
2008 Grant Gilmore for Oslo Boat Dock report
2009 Kristin and Mike Beck/Kayaks Etc.(education, support of local environmental initiatives), Habitat for Humanity/Andy Bowler (solar water heaters in new homes), George Hamner, Jr. (service to improve IRC through thoughtful planning)
2011 Rosaldin James – Scrub Jay Counts, Linda Chancellor, Janice Broda – Peligram articles, Susan Boyd – scheduling field trip, Bob Barbour – Basic Birding video
2012 Anytime Waste
2013 Ken Gonyo, Diane LaRue, Susan Warmer
2015 Lorraine Sutherland for her organizing our refreshments at meetings and banquets and to Susan Boyd, Bill Loftus, David Cox, & Bonnie Swanson all on the grants committee for their efforts, initiatives, & grant writing
2016 J.J. Romano, Reve Brugnoli, Dan Farley, and Doreen McLeod
2017 Steve Thomas and Michael Estabrook
2018 Paul Halleran, Indian River Community Foundation, National Estuary Program, John’s Island Foundation, & Children Services Advisory Committee
2019 Meri Beck, David Simpson, Carolyn Cimino, Becky Loftus, Felicity Rask, John Ericson, Jim Shea, Douglas Sutherland, George Thomas, Leo Vollbracht, Heather Smith, Rebecca O’Donnell, Cari Berwick, and Alexis Peralta
2020 Lloyd Hollingsworth
2021 Dee Fairbanks
2023 Ray & Beth Smith
Environmental Youth Award
2011 George Katilus – 7th grade Middle School student for oyster mats project
2012 Katrina Nilsson, Jessica Howell, David Green, Mark Green, Noah Rieck, & Martha Grudens
2014 David Peabody
2017 Michael Stabile
2019 Will Johnson
2020 Trenton Roasario
2023 Shaman Conway
Lifetime Achievement Award
2003 Margaret C. Bowman
2015 Richard H. Baker
Outstanding Service by an Elected Official
2019 Bob Solari
Volunteer of the Year Award
2021 Barbara Riebe
2023 Brenda Fuller