The RBA Little Gull Award

Each year, The Little Gull Award is given to an RBA volunteer in recognition of their many and diverse services to the club and to the local community, in support of birding and broader conservation throughout the Greater Rochester area.

Have suggestions for the next award winner? Contact us and let us know!

This year’s recipient of the Little Gull Award, Jeanne Verhulst, stepped up to be vice president of the RBA board, a position that also includes being the chair of the Program Committee. She handled this position with tremendous grace, managing the transition from in-person meetings to all-online meetings in 2020, and smoothing out the difficult time during lockdown for our speakers and our members. When Jeanne left the vice presidency, she immediately took over the Field Trips Committee, turning out a schedule of more than 50 field trips annually. As RBA President Randi Minetor says, “I can say that there’s nothing better than knowing that Jeanne Verhulst is in charge of something, because I know that it will get done on time, with no drama.” We thank and honor Jeanne for her many years of service to the RBA.

RBA President Randi Minetor presenting the 2023 Little Gull Award to Jeanne Verhulst

For more than 50 years, Bob has collected information and written the monthly Noteworthy Records Reports that appear in the Little Gull newsletter. Bob’s tireless work in tracking migration and breeding trends, reporting on rarities, and noting earliest arrival dates for hundreds of species has kept RBA members up to date on bird movement in our area. These reports also go to NYSOA, where they are incorporated into state records. We can’t thank Bob enough for his decades of service.

Amy Kahn has been a tireless advocate for bird conservation in the Rochester area. In addition to this often thankless work, she leads field trips and serves on the field trip committee, and she has served on the board of directors including as president. We honor Amy for her service.

RBA President Liz Magnanti presenting the 2020 Little Gull award to Tom Nash and Sheryl Gracewski

Richard Ashworth receives Little Gull Award from President Amy Kahn – RBA Winter Dinner 2019 © Richard Ashworth

Laura Kammermeier received the Little Gull Award at the January 2019 RBA Winter Dinner

Dick Horsey receiving the Little Gull Award from Laura Kammermeier at the 2017 RBA Dinner © Richard Ashworth

Cyndy Whited receiving the Little Gull Award from Laura Kammermeier at the 2017 RBA Dinner © Richard Ashworth

Previous Award Winners include:

2016 — Susan & David Schwardt, Anna Hrycin
2015 — Norma Platt
2014 — Jay Greenberg
2013 —
2012 — John Boettcher
2011 — Kimberly Sucy
2010 —
2009 — Bob and Sandy Mauceli
2008 — Kevin Griffith, Pat Kocinski
2007 — Jim Kimball
2006 —
2005 — Chuck Bordonaro
2004 —
2003 — Jon Dombrowski, John Olson
2002 — Lucretia Grosshans
2001 — William Powell
2000 — Dominic Sherony
1999 — Mike Tetlow, Jay Greenberg
1998 — Shirley Shaw
1997 — Betty Powell, Ann Clarridge
1996 — Belma Cerosaletti
1995 — Robert Marcotte
1994 — Judy Caysinger, Donna Traver
1993 — Diane Henderson
1992 — Richard Ashworth
1991 — Nancy Miller
1990 — Sharon Skelly
1989 — Carolyn Cass
1988 — William Symonds
1987 — Irving Gaskin
1986 — John Foster
1985 — Tom Tetlow, Clay Taylor
1984 — Julie Claffey
1983 — Bernie Olin, Jeanne Skelly
1982 — Mary Mattei, Steve Taylor