Dr. Carl Berg, an ecologist, environmental educator and wildlife tour leader from Kaua‘i, has won honorable mention in this year’s wetlands photography contest sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA sponsors the yearly event to promote public awareness
Dr. Carl Berg, an ecologist, environmental educator and wildlife tour leader from Kaua‘i, has won honorable mention in this year’s wetlands photography contest sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA sponsors the yearly event to promote public awareness of wetlands.
Berg was recognized for a photograph he took of a geese at the 917-acre wildlife refuge in Hanalei managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The grand prize winner and 12 finalists highlighted this year’s theme, “Wetland Wildlife,” with their photographs of reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds and mammals, EPA officials said.
The winning photographs were recently displayed at the Capitol in Washington D.C., during the National Wetlands Awards Ceremony.
The entries are posted on the EPA’s Web site, www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/photocontest2003.html.
G. Tracy Mehan III, the EPA’s assistant administrator for water, said Berg’s photograph shows the importance of wetlands.
“Dr. Berg’s photograph shows that wetlands are an integral part of our environment, and reminds all Americans of the many economic benefits that wetlands provide,” Mehan said.
Berg’s photograph, “Hawaiian Nene Goose,” reminds people of “what is at stake when wetlands are lost or degraded,” officials said in a news release.
Wetlands are important parts of watershed systems, and are among the most productive ecosystems on earth, comparable to coral reefs and tropical rainforests, officials said.
Wetlands provide natural buffers against floods, as they can store enormous amounts of water, thus reducing downstream flood damage, officials said.
The wetlands provide food, shelter and breeding grounds for fish, wildlife and plants, officials said. Yet, the United States has lost more than 50 percent of its original wetlands, officials said.
EPA officials commended Americans who have worked to protect and restore wetlands so that present and future generations can observe natural wonders such as those portrayed in this year’s winning photographs.
For more information about wetlands go to: http://www.epa.gov/wetlands.
Berg is a professional ecologist, environmental educator and wildlife tour leader. He earned a doctorate degree in zoology from the University of Hawai‘i in 1971.
Berg worked as a university professor at several prominent institutions on the Mainland before returning to Hawai‘i in 1990, federal officials said.
Before he retired in 1993 and established Hawaiian Wildlife Tours, Berg worked for the state Department of Health, monitoring water quality in streams and the ocean.
Berg currently serves as the water quality project coordinator for the Hanalei Heritage River Program, which has won an environmental achievement award from the EPA.
