Volunteer Jim Hess Receives the Regional Director`s Award
The Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges are celebrating. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Regional Director recently presented volunteer Jim Hess the Honor Award for Volunteer Service. Refuge Manager John Kasbohm accompanied Jim and wife Clara, also a volunteer, to Atlanta for the award ceremony and reception that followed.
Jim worked nearly 1000 hours in 2008 and is fast approaching that number again for 2009. Jim and Clara Hess have become intimately familiar with the many roads, trails, ponds, signs and brochure boxes of the Refuge, not to mention their daily wildlife sightings. As a volunteer, Jim attended several federal classes certifying him to operate heavy equipment and Refuge vessels, so he could take on even more work for the Refuge. He now mows over 100 miles of Refuge roads three times each year in between his general monitoring of the backcountry and visitor use areas in both Levy and Dixie Counties. "His time spent volunteering allows the Refuge employees to complete their own essential assigned projects", said former Assistant Manager Shannon Ludwig in his nomination. "Jim is more than an essential part of our team; he is a member of our Refuge family." For his gift to the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge and the local community, for his years of dedication, "Mr. Jim" was presented the Regional Director`s Honor Award for Volunteer Service. | 
