Windels earns McDonough Award

TWS member Steve Windels has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Jim McDonough Award. Windels is a research wildlife biologist at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota.  He has been a member of TWS since 1996 and a certified wildlife biologist since 2010.

Windels has been very active with the Minnesota Chapter since 2003 and served as Chapter president in 2014.  He is currently active with the Chapter’s Nontoxic Ammo Working group.  On the national level, he is active in the Restoration and Steady State Working groups and was an associated editor of JWM from 2011-2019.

During his 18 years with the National Park Service, Windels’ work has led to important discoveries on beavers, wolves and their interrelationships. This work has been acknowledged by the National Park Service with its Director’s Award for Natural Resource Research. His work also earned him the Midwest Region Natural Resource Manager of the year.

“Dr. Windels’ professionalism, magnetic personality and ability to make others smile are staples in our Chapter,” Chapter colleagues wrote in a nomination letter. “Dr. Windels is a highly regarded wildlife professional nationally and an important member of TWS. Dr. Windels is also a premier research biologist, leading the biological program and Voyageurs National Park and conducting research on wolves, beaver, and many other species. He also generously provides his time and expertise to serve our Chapter and give back to the wildlife professionals in Minnesota.”

Colleagues praised Windels for spearheading the Chapter’s first strategic plan and updating its bylaws and operations plan.

“He cares for wildlife professionals and retains the human element with those who he interacts with, which in our opinion, makes him a true professional and highly deserving of the Jim McDonough Award,” they wrote.

The Jim McDonough award is presented to a TWS members who are also certified wildlife biologists and members of their Section and Chapter. Recipients are recognized for making a significant contribution to the wildlife profession by being an active member and participant of TWS, especially at local levels, and through program implementation and development of new techniques or approaches in an area or in a state or province. The award goes to recipients recognized as “true professionals” but who have gone without major awards or recognition.

Click here for a complete list of 2021 TWS award winners. For more about this year’s virtual conference, click here.