Don is a true naturalist and as such I am pleased to be able to present him with the 2015 Owl Award.

Don Wales came on the RDRN Board in 2006, jumping right into the fray as Vice-President. He became President in 2008, Past President in 2010, Director in 2012, and President again in 2014. He will be ending his presidency at the next Annual General Meeting in January 2016 which, by natural progression means he again becomes Past President.

Don has assumed responsibility for the Flower Focus meetings: which meet on the third Wednesday of each month. This involves organizing the program, making sure the room is set up and conducting necessary field trips. He organized and conducted a Flower Focus field trip to Waterton Park last spring and at that time conducted a special auxiliary trip for the RDRN’ers who were present. He has also helped with the inventory of Butcher Creek flora.

He has twice spoken at RDRN general meetings. In fact, one of his talks had 115 people present, the largest crowd we’ve ever had for a speaker.

Don has been a wonderful resource for RDRN in that he closely monitored what the City of Red Deer was doing environmentally. His views are well respected and sought after. Don’s soft-spoken approach with City of Red Deer Administration and his tireless vocal support for the City of Red Deer Parks has helped to shape the policies that have made Maskepetoon Park what it has become. Some refer to him as , “The Champion of Maskepetoon.”

He has also been champion of the natural area behind Red Deer College, an area about which he is especially passionate. There, he has conducted field trips for RDRN and other individuals and organizations, all to make sure that others know what a treasure is located there. This fit very well with his previous career as an instructor at Red Deer College.

He has also personally kept an eye on mountain bike parks, both legal and illegal, so that damage to the environment would be minimal.

He has been working hard this year at restructuring the RDRN Board.

He is one of those people who never tires of gaining new knowledge and of going to new places. He is a true naturalist and as such I am pleased to be able to present Don Wales with the 2015 Owl Award.