Shelly Ament with rescued Bald Eagle—Photo: WDFW

OPAS awards Shelly Ament for Career Achievement in Conservation

by Laura Davis and Liam Antrim

For “Career Achievement in Conservation” OPAS honors our long-term partner, Shelly Ament, for her dedication to Olympic Peninsula wildlife and habitat conservation. Recently retired from 34 years as a wildlife biologist with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Shelly exemplified conservation leadership across the Olympic Peninsula. She excelled working at the human–wildlife interface, advocated for both wildlife and habitat, and served as a local role model for service and stewardship. Her diverse conservation efforts included the local overwintering swans; she encouraged monitoring, posed proactive solutions to known risks, and forged trusting relationships with community members.

OPAS previously honored Shelly and her colleague Anita McMillan with Conservation Awards in 2002 for their collaborative study with OPAS, which led to the banning of lead shot in state wildlife areas. As a valued conservation partner, Shelly’s leadership and long-term commitment to this area make her exceptionally deserving of this special recognition from our OPAS community.

Please see more photos and the full article on this Conservation Matters webpage.