Recognizing Excellence

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies coordinates two annual awards designed to recognize outstanding contributions by individuals we work with.

The Richard G. Levad Award honors the memory of Rich Levad who, after a 30 year career as an English teacher, turned his lifelong love of birds into a second career with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (then known as Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, RMBO). The award is presented to a person who, like Rich, has enthused others about conserving birds and their habitats by sharing personal knowledge and experiences and has provided distinguished service and/or knowledge to the ornithological community. In 2005, RMBO Staff and Board chose to honor Rich by establishing this award in his name.

Click here for more information about the Richard G. Levad Award or to nominate a recipient.

The Nelda Gamble Award recognizes outstanding service as a Bird Conservancy of the Rockies volunteer. Nelda Gamble, for which the award is named, started the groundbreaking Bald Eagle Watch citizen science program in 1988.  The program was one of the catalysts for the founding of Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (then Colorado Bird Observatory). The program was originally created to monitor a single nest at Barr Lake. Today, Bald Eagles are on the rebound, with 53 nests recorded in Colorado in 2016. This award honors the dedicated volunteer spirit of those who give their personal time in an effort to conserve birds and their habitats.