For those that have been with the DHNAA for many ... many years, this will be a name that you recognize. Those that have joined in the last decade or less, this may not be a name that you know.
Besides being the founder of what is the Dishman Hills Natural Area Association, be was a man that dedicated himself to maintaining a portion of Spokane in its native state. While trying to learn more about him myself, I came across an article published in Aug 1995 that I would like to share.
Thomas H. Rogers:
A lifetime of achievement
by Warren Hall
Tom Rogers has had a long and noteworthy career both as an educator and as a concerned naturalist, one who recognized years ago that to save wildlife it is necessary to conserve habitat.
Tom moved from Montana to Washington and began teaching at Libby Mountain High School, where I first made contact with him through his editorship of Audubon Field Notes. His name became synonymous with the Northern Rocky Mountain- Intermountain Region, for which he served as editor for nearly 20 years (volumes 25 through 43).
After coming to Spokane in 1957, he taught at University High School until his retirement. I got to know him personally when he joined the Spokane Bird Club (predecessor of the Spokane Audubon Society). He has been an active member, leading field trips and coordinating a section of the Christmas Bird Count circle, among other services.
Tom has worked on Breeding Bird Surveys in eastern Washington, contributes to Washington and Montana Bird Atlas programs, and continues his lati-long studies of bird distribution. He is a member of the National Audubon Society, the Washington Ornithological Society, the Washington Native Plant Society, and perhaps most significantly, The Nature Conservancy.
Tom worked diligently with the Conservancy, the Spokane County Parks Department, and the Dishman Hills Association to set aside a significant portion of native habitat, now known as the Dishman Hills Natural Area, adjacent to a rapidly developing metropolitan area. Protection of Dishman Hills began in 1966 when 80 acres were purchased with the help of The Nature Conservancy. The original loan has since been fully repaid by private donations, while an additional 210 acres have been added. Protection of another 225 acres of the Dishman Hills is in the works.
Many people have aided his efforts over the years, but Tom has always been the prime motivator. He has led many field trips into the Hills to familiarize local youth and the community at large with the diversity of plant and animal life in one small piece of native habitat. Tom believes that amateur naturalists can gain an intimate knowledge of an area, then work to protect it; he has set an example.
For his determination to maintain a portion of Spokane in its native state, for his lifetime commitment to the education of youth, and for his long-term involvement with the birds and birders of Washington and beyond, Tom has earned the first Washington Ornithological Society Lifetime Achievement Award.
Reference:
WOS News 38, (Aug 1995) by Warren Hall, Retrieved from http://www.wos.org/issue38.pdf
