Elko, NV – Ken and Jill Wilkinson, long-time volunteers with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), were selected as the 2024 recipients of the Wayne E. Kirch Nevada Wildlife Conservation Award. This award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to the conservation, management, or enhancement of Nevada’s wildlife.
The Wilkinsons have a long history of giving their time and resources to support wildlife through NDOW’s volunteer program. In 2024 alone, they contributed 34 hours of service, focusing on maintaining Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), and offering their property for NDOW’s urban quail trapping and relocation project.
Outdoor recreation is a shared passion for Ken and Jill, and Nevada’s WMAs hold a special place in their hearts. These areas are open to the public and provide opportunities for multiple uses, making their upkeep especially meaningful. The Wilkinsons developed maintenance plans for both Franklin Lake and Humboldt WMAs, worked with NDOW biologists to refine them, and put those plans into action. Because these WMAs do not have full-time staff, the maintenance, weed treatment, and waterfowl reports the Wilkinsons provide have been critical to keeping these areas healthy and accessible for everyone.
They have also been key participants in NDOW’s urban quail trapping and relocation project in Elko since it began. Each season, they dedicate weeks to attracting quail to their property, then work alongside NDOW staff to safely trap and relocate the birds to more suitable natural habitats.
“Ken and Jill exemplify the spirit of conservation and volunteerism, and NDOW depends on volunteers like them to accomplish many aspects of our mission,” said their nominator. “They don’t think twice about all the time and resources that they contribute; all of their contributions are appreciated and important in meeting wildlife conservation goals.”
Each year, the Commission’s Kirch Award judging panel selects a winner from a pool of statewide nominations. The panel includes two wildlife commissioners, Marlene Kirch (daughter of former Commissioner Wayne E. Kirch), NDOW staff assigned to the Kirch Award Committee, and four members representing County Advisory Boards to Manage Wildlife or other outdoor organizations.
The award honors the memory of Wayne E. Kirch, who served 25 years on the Nevada Fish and Game Commission, the longest tenure in the commission’s history. Kirch passed away in 1989, and his legacy of conservation continues through this annual recognition.