Oct. 16, 2014

Rader is recognized for his significant contributions to bird conservation, education

PRATT – If you’ve ever cracked open an issue ofKansas Wildlife & Parksmagazine and read the “Bird Brain” column, you’ve learned about birds from Mike Rader. If you’ve ever attended an EcoMeet or Kansas Archery in the Schools event, Rader played a pivotal role in that. If you’ve ever teamed up on a bird count conducted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), chances are Rader showed you the way. It’s these contributions and so many more that make it no surprise that Rader, Wildlife Education Coordinator for KDWPT, was named Avian Conservationist of the Year by the Kansas Ornithological Society (KOS). Rader received the award at the fall meeting, Oct. 3-5, and if you ask his nominator, Chuck Otte, there couldn’t have been a more deserving person to recognize. 

The KOS’s Avian Conservationist of the Year Award is given each year to an individual who has made significant contributions to bird conservation and/or education; Rader has done this and more.

“Conserving our avian resources has become Mike’s life long, all-consuming work,” said Otte, Geary County KSU extension agent and past KOS president. “Certainly, Mike’s birding is his passion, but making sure that we still have birds to watch has become his driving force.”

“Mike spends considerable time working on projects that will benefit birds and all wildlife, and helping other people learn more about the wildlife around them,” said Otte. “He has turned us into better conservationists.”

Apart from KOS, Rader also serves a member of the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education.

For more information on KOS and the Avian Conservationist Award, visit ksbirds.org.

For more information on KDWPT’s wildlife education programs, visit ksoutdoors.com and click “Services,” then “Education.”

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