Harlequin Duck—Photo: John Gussman

OPAS HARLEQUIN AWARD 2025

Annually, past Harlequin awardees who have remained active as OPAS leaders, solicit nominees from our board and membership for a member or members who have made outstanding contributions to our programs and mission. This year, Dee Renee Ericks was the recipient of the Harlequin Award, presented at our September 17th meeting. Dee Renee was recognized for her outstanding and generous contributions of time, talent, and effort toward the conservation of birds and birding habitat on the Olympic Peninsula.

Bob Phreaner presenting Dee Renee Ericks with the 2025 Harlequin Award

Dee Renee Ericks (holding award), along with past awardees. Behind Dee Renee left to right: Ken Wiersema, Annette Hanson, Audrey Gift, Enid Phreaner, Bob Phreaner, Bob Boekelheide and Marie Grad. OPAS President, Matt McCoy (right), was happy to be included in the photo.

The following are examples of Dee Renee’s tireless dedication to bird conservation and community engagement across the Olympic Peninsula:

  • Since 2018, Dee Renee Ericks has served as a member-at-large on the OPAS Board of Directors and as a member of the Conservation Committee, offering steady leadership and insight.

  • She spearheaded Project BirdSafe in 2020 to address bird-window collisions at Peninsula College, securing $3,000 in National Audubon grants—matched by OPAS—and mobilizing faculty and students to install treatments that have significantly reduced strikes. She recently participated in the Lights Out effort in Port Angeles and is a voice in our ongoing coordination with DarkSky Olympic Peninsula.

  • She advocated for protective signage for Canada Geese along Marine Drive in Port Angeles and continues to amplify OPAS’s mission through active management of its Facebook and social media platforms, as well as regular contributions to the website, enhanced by her expert photographic skills. 

  • Her commitment to community science is evident in her participation in Swan, Purple Martin, and Pigeon Guillemot surveys.

  • She has also provided AV and Zoom support for OPAS programs, Backyard Birding classes, and Board meetings at the Dungeness River Nature Center, ensuring access for remote audiences.

Dee Renee’s generous contributions of time, talent, and technical expertise exemplify the spirit of the Harlequin Award. Our community is enriched by her stewardship.

Harlequin Award

Background: Board Resolution established the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society Harlequin Award on June 10, 1982. Its stated purpose was to recognize Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society (OPAS) members for their “outstanding and generous contributions of time, talent and effort toward the conservation of birds and birding habitat on the Olympic Peninsula through scientific, educational and advocacy endeavors.” The first Harlequin Award committee was asked to prepare a ranked list of award nominees for the Board, the Board made the final choice.

Purpose:  The purpose of the OPAS Harlequin Award is to recognize members for their outstanding accomplishments and sustained generous contributions of time, talent and effort toward the Olympic Peninsula’s environment through science, education and/or bird advocacy.

Process: At its February 2022 meeting the OPAS Board shall appoint a person to chair the selection panel. The chair should be a past recipient of the award. Chair will contact prior awardees who are still active in OPAS to become the selection panel. The selection panel will be reminded of the criteria for the award (current OPAS member, outstanding contribution, etc.) and to ask for nominations. The selection panel members can solicit nominations from the OPAS Board, or other OPAS members. Nominations are to include the name or names of the nominee as well as a statement of their accomplishments indicating why they are being nominated. The slate of nominations is then compiled by the chair and sent to the panel to vote for who they believe is most worthy in that given year. Panel members can add to or modify the description of the accomplishments of any of the nominees. Once the panel has selected an awardee, the chair is to arrange for the Harlequin Duck to be retrieved from the last recipient and arrange to have the plaque engraved.

OPAS Harlequin Award Recipients 1981 - present

1981 Karl Greubel—Recognized for his five-year bird census of Dungeness and Graveyard Spits and for his dedicated service as a frequent field trip leader and teacher.

1982 The Clawson Family—Arita, Bob and Betty were valuable leaders in the chapter’s early years as officers and as committee chairs.

1983 Gunnar Fagerlund—First President of OPAS; brought us through provisional status to full Audubon chapter status.

1984 Harvey and Eloise Kailin—Harvey and Eloise were instrumental in leading conservation efforts for OPAS over a ten-year period, including opposition to the proposed Oilport, Sequim Bay Marina, and Sequim sewage discharge projects.

1985 Homer Frazier—Chapter President; was very active in numerous environmental battles including Northern Tier, timber sales, hazardous waste dumping, offshore drilling, etc.

1986 Robert Knox—Served OPAS as Newsletter Editor for six years, as President for two years, and as a Washington Environmental Council Board member and officer for four years.

1987 Henry & Jodie Hoekstra—Hank served as President for two terms (four years); organized the chapter’s first Board Handbook in 1987; and worked on several environmental projects in the county. Jodie served as Education Chair, promoting wildlife and environmental education in Sequim and Port Angeles schools. Both strongly supported the building and education programs at the Sequim Natural History Museum.

1990 Annette Hanson—Co-founder of the Sequim Natural History Museum (1984); served as OPAS newsletter editor for two years, President for two years, Secretary for two years, and Fundraising Chair for three years. She also co-founded the Dungeness River Natural History Center and the Rainshadow Natural Science Foundation.

1991 Welden & Virginia Clark—Served as chapter newsletter editors, treasurers, and membership chairs; provided valuable research and resources for the Dungeness-Quilcene Watershed Project; and coordinated the Hawk Watch research data project at Neah Bay for several years.

1993 Dory & Stan Smith—Provided leadership in bird identification classes throughout the county for many years and served as field trip leaders. Stan served as OPAS treasurer. Dory coordinated the Clallam County Christmas Bird Count for many years and authored the “Dungeness Diary” column in Harlequin Happenings since its inception.

1994 Gene Kridler—Since retiring from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gene has provided numerous bird banding programs for the chapter and its visitors. He continues to band birds and monitor avian movement throughout the Olympic Peninsula.

1996  Les Jones

1997  Dr. Bob Norton

1998 Pat & Jack Fletcher

1999  Pat & John Willits

2001  Ken Wiersema

2002 Bob Boekelheide

2003 Stuart & Pat MacRobbie

2004 Sue Chickman

2005 Claude & Edna Ritze

2006 Eftin Strong

2007 Bob Iddins

2008 Shirley Anderson

2009 Dave & Julie Jackson

2010 Robert Hutchison—Served as OPAS President; editor of Harlequin Happenings; and member of the BirdFest Committee.

2011 Clare Manis Hatler—Learn more.

2012 Kendra Donelson—Learn more.

2013 Judith Mullally—Learn more.

2014 Jim & Audrey Gift—Learn more.

2015 Ken and Janie Leuthold—Learn more.

2016 Mary Porter-Solberg—Learn more.

2017 Nancy Bargar—Learn more.

2018 Tom Montgomery—Learn more.

2019 Marion Rutledge—Learn more.

2020 Not awarded during pandemic

2022 Enid and Bob Phreaner—Learn more.  

2023 Dow Lambert—Learn more.

2024 Marie Grad—Learn more.