Deb Nickerson hardly needs an introduction to members of Black Hills Audubon. She joined our organization in 1999 and has been on the board for more than 20 years. Her activities ranged from Feeder Cleaning Coordinator, Secretary, Education Chair, Outreach Chair, and Communications Chair. She was instrumental in helping establish the popular Birds and Beer and co-founded Birding and Breakfast, a local monthly birding event since 2015. All these volunteer contributions culminated in the BHAS presidency from 2013 through 2017. She currently chairs our Education and Communication Committees, is an all-around ambassador of goodwill, and continues to chair or emcee Audubon events beyond her presidency.
Her welcoming presence and innovative thinking have truly inspired and shaped the people, projects and policies of our society. She is able to draw folks into our group and find them a place which supports our mission and complements their interests. Deb has immense energy, intelligence and vision. She sets an example of commitment in ideas, time and energy and is always quick to reward such contributions from others.
Though majoring in the social sciences, she always had a love of environmental education and the natural world beginning her birding as a teenager in southern Rhode Island where she grew up. As a middle school teacher, she was involved deeply with the Nisqually Watershed Education Program, co-founding a two-person teaching model of interdisciplinary studies with Debra Wood. They partnered with other teachers in developing curriculum that infused local, national and international environmental issues in all subjects. She moved to the high school level where she taught English for many years before spending the last 10 years of her career as a high school librarian where once again could spend time fostering interdisciplinary studies among her colleagues and students.
BHAS has been extremely fortunate for Deb’s participation and leadership in our organization. For all this and more, Deb Nickerson is our 2020 Volunteer of the Year.
