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AWF Aldo Leopold Conservation Awards

The Arizona Wildlife Federation recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to Arizona conservation over the course of the last 12 months, or for a lifetime of achievement, by annually presenting AWF Aldo Leopold Conservation Awards in several distinct categories. While AWF presents awards annually, each award is only given when outstanding nominees are presented for that category.

2024 Aldo Leopold Conservation Award Recipients

Emerging Conservationist of the Year

Tania Michelle Peret

Seven and a half years ago, Tania transitioned from the rhododendrons and sandstone cliffs of eastern Kentucky to the creosote flats and saguaros of southern Arizona. While her main focus is maintaining a square-mile enclosure and caring for its 70 Sonoran pronghorn inhabitants, she also helps monitor wildlife waters and wild Sonoran pronghorn populations across southwest Arizona. She is grateful for the desert’s endless lessons and the vast knowledge shared by her fellow conservationists at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and hopes to continue in aiding in the recovery of this special species for years to come.


Volunteer Conservationist of the Year

Wolf Gumerman

Wolf is an archaeologist and retired from Northern Arizona University where he taught for 25 years and was Founding Dean of the Honors College. An active user of public lands since he can remember, Wolf feels it is important to use his time and energy to protect these special landscapes and the wildlife and cultural resources they hold. He serves on the Boards of the Arizona Chapter Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Friends of the Flagstaff Area National Monuments, and the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival.


Citizen Advocate of the Year

Alex Trimble Young

Alex is an Associate Teaching Professor at Barrett, the Honors College at ASU, where he is a scholar of the literature and culture of the American West. In his work as a volunteer conservationist, he serves as Legislative Director for the Arizona Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He has been a hunter and angler since his childhood in Oklahoma, where he was taught to be a responsible conservationist by his grandfather Norman Swezey, a big Aldo Leopold fan.


Legislative Champion of the Year

Will Greene

Will Greene served as Arizona Corporation Commissioner Sandra Kennedy’s Land Use Policy Advisor, helping her pass important measures related to solar energy, energy storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, water conservation, and more. Will has private sector experience in renewable energy and real estate project development, and was a professional organizer for the Sierra Club focusing on energy and climate policy. He holds a Masters in Real Estate Development from Arizona State University and an undergraduate degree in Business Sustainability with an economics minor from ASU.


Government Agency Conservationist of the Year

Anne Justice-Allen

Dr. Anne Justice-Allen grew up learning about conservation and ecology from her parents; Keith, ecologist and professor at the University of California, Irvine, and Carol, microbiologist. She graduated from the University of California Davis veterinary school in 1986 and obtained an MS from Utah State University in 2010. She has worked for the Arizona Game and Fish Department since 2009 on projects as diverse as population health assessments, mortality investigations, bighorn sheep pneumonia, Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance and prevention, Sonoran pronghorn recovery, Mexican wolf puppy fostering, and black-footed ferret recovery.


Conservation Organization Partner of the Year

Project Wildlife Bisbee

Project Wildlife Bisbee (PWB) is a new 501(c)(3) organization focused on enhancing the ecological health of Bisbee, Arizona. In 2023, PWB achieved the significant milestone of certifying Bisbee as a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Community Wildlife Habitat, one of only three in Arizona. Composed entirely of volunteers, PWB certified various properties, installed informational kiosks, held community workshops, and transformed a two-acre city park into a native demonstration garden. They also partnered with the Bisbee Bloomers to ensure all gardens on their annual tour were NWF certified.


Thomas E. McCullough Memorial Award

Mark Hullinger

Mark been an active member of the Arizona Wildlife Federation for the last 38 years, more that half his lifetime. He served 11 years on the Board of Directors and one term as president. He is an avid conservationist, hunter, angler, and educator. Of the many projects he has worked on with AWF, the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) classes are some of the most lasting. With fellow past president, Don Farmer, Mark worked to get BOW started in Arizona. They are a huge reason why BOW is sponsored by AWF and is so successful today. He has been an active BOW instructor for 28 years and has mentored many new instructors along the way.


Arizona Wildlife Federation

PO Box 1182,  Mesa, AZ 85211
(480) 702-1365
awf@azwildlife.org

The Arizona Wildlife Federation is a Registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization.

EIN# 86-0076994

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