TUCSON, Ariz., March 12, 2024—On February 15, 2024, Western National Parks Association (WNPA) announced the winner of the Edward B. Danson Award, Dr. Michael Soukup, for his influential work in national parks.
The Edward B. Danson Award celebrates individuals who display exceptional support for WNPA and national parks. Danson, a noted archaeologist, helped reveal the past and reshape the future of the West and preserve the grandeur of the Southwest and the legacy of the first peoples of Arizona. He served on the WNPA board of directors and the National Park System Advisory Board and received the Department of Interior Conservation Award in 1986.
“As we partner with the National Park Service (NPS) to support the future of our national parks, it is an honor to celebrate individuals who have shown extraordinary commitment to our mission and our parks,” said Marie Buck, president and chief executive officer of WNPA, which has been a nonprofit education partner of the NPS since 1938. “We congratulate Dr. Michael Soukup, and we proudly recognize his decades of effort and dedication to national parks.”
Influential NPS Leader
Dr. Michael Soukup has dedicated decades of his life to conservation and the development of sustainable natural resource stewardship programs and education in the NPS. As one of its most influential leaders, Soukup’s work helped NPS staff understand and respond to the public perception of parks. Working with National Geographic on a $10 million donation to conduct ten major BioBlitzes in parks, Soukup empowered hundreds of citizen scientists as they engaged in transformational personal experiences that highlighted the important role parks play in conservation and environmental education.
“With Mike’s vision guiding park stewardship, national parks became not only scenic vacation destinations but also revealed their values as natural laboratories, libraries, and classrooms where knowledge of nature can be discovered, measured, tested, and applied to resolve existential threats to the planet’s capacity to support humanity,” said Gary Davis, science advisor for the NPS.
For more than 30 years, WNPA has recognized individuals and organizations who make exceptional contributions to national parks, public lands, and WNPA’s mission. Dr. Soukup’s work is deeply connected to the missions of both WNPA and the NPS, helping to generate awareness and understanding of how vital these resources are to the planet’s future. For his service, WNPA recognizes him as the winner of the Edward B. Danson Award. Learn more about WNPA’s award winners.
About WNPA
WNPA helps make the national park experience possible for everyone. As a nonprofit education partner of the NPS, WNPA supports parks across the West, developing products, services, and programs that enhance the visitor experience, understanding, and appreciation of national parks. Since 1938 WNPA has worked to connect new generations to parks in meaningful ways, all with one simple goal: create advocates who want to preserve and protect these special places for everyone, for all time. Learn more about the organization and career opportunities at www.wnpa.org.
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