Wendell Berryhill Wins the 2006 Conservationist of the Year

News Release: February 10, 2006

For more information contact:
The Altamaha RIVERKEEPER, Constance Riggins or Deborah Sheppard, 912-437-8164
P.O. Box 2642, Darien, GA 31305 Website: www.altamahariverkeeper.org.

Las Vegas (Feb. 10, 2006) Wendell Berryhill of Cochran, Georgia was honored today as the 2006 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year at the annual Budweiser Outdoors press reception during the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show.

Berryhill was selected for the honor through a nationwide program-recognizing individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the outdoors and conservation.

A committee selected the top four nominees and publicized information on the finalists. Citizens across the country were invited to cast their votes for Conservationist of the Year through open ballot process. When the votes were counted, Wendell Berryhill, an active volunteer for the Altamaha Riverkeeper (ARK), won.

Along with the title, came $50,000 in grant funding from Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The money goes to a conservation group of his choice. "It is quite an honor to be named Conservationist of the Year," said Berryhill "The best part is being able to give the money to the Altamaha Riverkeeper so that it can be used to protect our watershed."
The Altamaha Riverkeeper is well known in Georgia as an organization that works to protect and restore the habitat, water quality, and flow of Georgia's largest watershed- composed of the Atlamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee and Ohoopee Rivers.

The newly bestowed national recognition has not gone to Berryhill's head "I will continue to volunteer every day," he said. "This recognition is for the work that all of us do. I am totally committed and the work inspires me. Everyone should get involved in conservation; working together we can get better results cleaning up the water and the land."

Wendell encourages his fellow sportsmen to become better stewards of the outdoors by reporting problems in the watershed, whether it is a polluted stream or a devastated wetland. He notes, "Everyone can perform simple acts like following hunting and fishing regulations and picking up litter; they make a big difference. We must protect our rivers, stream buffers, and trees; they all have an impact on the wildlife we love."

James Holland, the Altamaha Riverkeeper says, "Wendell understands the importance of a healthy watershed. As our first volunteer, Wendell has actively investigated water pollution problems by conducting field research and collecting water samples at hundreds of sites. His boating skills have helped navigate watershed rivers and his angling skills have aided in documenting aquatic species impacted by pollution. These investigations have raised public awareness of watershed problems caused by pollution."

Many other people nationwide are also committed to conserving the environment. Three other finalists were selected alongside Berryhill for the award: Gene Hartman of Knoxville, Tenn., Corky Logan of Anaconda, Mont. and David F. Zentner of Duluth, Minn. The runners up will receive $5,000 each to contribute to the conservation organizations of their choice. To view the finalists for Conservationist of the Year, you can go online at www.budweiser.com. Click on the Game Time tab (upper right) then the Outdoors tab (lower left) and the Conservationist of the Year link will come up.

"We appreciate everyone who voted for Wendell," said ARK Development Director, Constance Riggins. "There were some excellent finalists from much larger conservation groups and the competition was stiff. We' would like to thank everyone who stepped up to the plate and helped spread the word across the state, country, and around the world. You, your friends, relatives, and members of clubs and organizations played an integral part in making both Wendell Berryhill and the Altamaha Riverkeeper winners."

The Altamaha Riverkeeper is making our watershed a healthier place to live by assisting citizens with water quality problems, educating the public on recognizing and reporting pollution, and improving water quality enforcement. By visiting and documenting problem sites then following up with reports to regulatory agencies, ARK works to identify the sources and to stop pollution to protect our waterways for all of the inhabitants, human and wildlife. Our work conserves the environment and protects public resources promoting a sustainable economy. Through over 700 site visits helping people, the Altamaha Riverkeeper is connecting citizens, media, and decision makers with local, state, and federal agencies to solve water quality problems. Together we are improving water quality for thousands of people. For more information, please see our website: www.altamahariverkeeper.org. or call the Altamaha Riverkeeper at 912-437-8164. Our address is Altamaha Riverkeeper, P. O. Box 2642, Darien, GA 31305