Gary Clayton to Present Stellwagen Bank Researcher with Hemenway + Hall Wildlife Conservation Award During Annual Birders Meeting
Michael P. O'Connor
LINCOLN, MA.—Dr. David Wiley, Research Coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and an expert on seabirds and endangered whales, has been named the 2019 recipient of Mass Audubon’s Hemenway + Hall Wildlife Conservation Award.
This honor recognizes and celebrates individuals or organizations whose research and related ecological successes have achieved significant and lasting wildlife conservation benefits. The award is named for Mass Audubon founders Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall, who in 1896 organized a national campaign which succeeded in ending the commercial slaughter of bird species for the millinery trade while inspiring broader public support for wildlife conservation in general.
Dr. Wiley’s work focuses on Stellwagen Bank, the marine species-rich underwater plateau situated between the tip of Cape Cod and Cape Ann at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay. He studies humpback whales and North Atlantic right whales (the latter the most endangered in the world), shearwaters and other seabirds, as well as sand lances, small fish that sustain both the birds and the large marine mammals.
The award ceremony will take place during Mass Audubon’s 27th-annual Birders Meeting Sunday, March 3, at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. Dr. Wiley will be presented with his award by Gary Clayton, President of Mass Audubon, the state’s largest nature conservation nonprofit.
“Dr. Wiley’s conservation work on behalf of Stellwagen Bank and its remarkable biodiversity, from seabirds to endangered whales, honors the legacy of Harriett and Minna,” Clayton said. “And thus he is a fitting recipient of the Hemenway + Hall Wildlife Conservation Award.
“Just as our founding mothers understood more than a century ago that all wildlife species warrant protection, Dave is committed is understanding and protecting our seas and the amazing and diverse life they support,” he noted.
Wiley grew up in Latham, NY, near Albany, and earned an undergraduate degree in natural resource management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and Conservation Biology from Antioch University, New England.
Mass Audubon is the largest nature-based conservation organization in New England. Founded in 1896 by two women who fought for the protection of birds, Mass Audubon carries on their legacy by focusing on the greatest challenges facing the environment today: the loss of biodiversity, inequitable access to nature, and climate change. With the help of our 160,000 members and supporters, we protect wildlife, conserve and restore resilient land, advocate for impactful environmental policies, offer nationally recognized education programs for adults and children, and provide endless opportunities to experience the outdoors at our wildlife sanctuaries. Explore, find inspiration, and take action at www.massaudubon.org.