The James Mason Award is awarded at our annual banquet dinner every Spring to an individual or group that has demonstrated a commitment to bird conservation and/or environmental education in Indiana, particularly in the Wabash Valley.

Past winners of the award (and their affiliations) include:

1990 Jack Munsee, WVAS, ISU Life Sciences

1991 H. Samuel Phipps, Indiana DNR

1992 Keith Ruble, Vigo County Parks Dept.

1993 Terri Moore, Indiana Natural Resource Commission

1994 Marion Jackson, WVAS, ISU Life Sciences

1995 Paul Carmony, The Nature Conservancy

1996 Amy Mason, WVAS, Indiana Audubon Society, Indiana Garden Club

1997 James Gammon, DePauw University

1998 Marshall Parks, WVAS, ISU Life Sciences

1999 John Bacone, Indiana Dept of Natural Resources

2000 "Six from the Sixties", WVAS founders: Ruth Erickson, Betty Munsee, Ken & Pearl Eslinger, Henry & Margaret Tamar

2001 no award given

2002 Charles Keller, co-author of Birds of Indiana

2003 Alan Bruner, WVAS, Indiana Audubon Society

2004 Gene Muench, WVAS

2005 John Whitaker, ISU Center for NA Bat Research and Conservation

2006 James McDonald, Indiana landowner practicing conservation and stewardship of his land

2007 no award given

2008 TREES Inc., Terre Haute, Indiana

2009 Peter Scott, WVAS, ISU Biology

2010 Susie Dewey, WVAS 



At the annual banquet, Karen Henman (right) presents the James Mason Award to Susie Dewey for her contributions to bird conservation in the Wabash Valley. (Photo: Jim Sullivan)

2011 Max Miller, Wabash Valley RIverscape

2012 Phil and Brenda Milliren, WVAS