Friend of the Lake Award

 

The Friend of the Lake Award is given to a person, organization, or business performing outstanding work in education, research and/or advocacy to benefit Great Salt Lake. There is a vibrant and active community of people working on behalf of the lake. Their efforts help increase our understanding and awareness of our big salty neighbor. Understanding can lead to positive action for preservation of Great Salt Lake. To recognize these talents and contributions, FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake established an award to be presented at our Biennial Great Salt Lake Issues Forum.

FRIENDS is proud to award the 2014 Friend of the Lake award to Hikmet Sydney Loe. The Award will be presented at the Issues Forum Banquet on Thursday, May 8th at the Alta Club.

 

Friend of the Lake Award Recipients

2002 – The first award was presented to the late Dr. Donald R. Currey, geomorphologist in the Geography Department at the University of Utah. Dr. Currey worked to raise awareness about the unique geomorphological features that surround Great Salt Lake, their importance as archives of the past, and why they should be protected.

2004 – Joy Emory is an environmental engineer representing FRIENDS on the Kennecott South End Technical Advisory Committee as part of the CERCLA process. Her understanding of extremely complex surface and ground water dynamics as it pertains to the remediation of mining contamination helped FRIENDS participate more fully in this important process.

2006 – Al Trout is the retired manager of the USFWS Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City, Utah. Al worked tirelessly with the community and volunteers to restore the Refuge after the high water years of the 1980’s. He continues to be an arch advocate for Great Salt Lake preservation and protection.

2008 – There were two recipients this year –  a doctor and an attorney. It’s important for the Lake to have both. Dr. Maunsel Pearce, Chair of the GSL Alliance and Joro Walker, Senior Attorney at Western Resources Advocates. Dr. Pearce has always been there for the Lake – advocating for better management, stronger protection and greater recognition of this hemispherically important ecosystem.

Just like good science, good legal insight can strengthen the work FRIENDS is trying to do for the Lake. Joro has been instrumental in providing legal support to help advance timely and responsible results for the Lake.

2010 – Don Paul is president of AvianWest, Inc, a bird and habitat conservation business. He is a career wildlife biologist having served 34 years in several positions for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and four years as the Great Basin Bird Conservation Region Coordinator. His career emphasis takes two directions, conservation biology with emphases in international community conservation linkages and avian conservation with experience in large-scale landscape bird monitoring.

2012 – Charles Uibel, (greatsaltlakephotography.com) has an incredible photographic eye. He has been to just about every place a person can go around the Lake, capturing its beauty in such a magical way that the viewer is awed. His photographs are a constant reminder of the power and the importance of Great Salt Lake in our lives.