Miles O'Brien To Be Master Of Ceremonies At EAA AirVenture
Museum Gala
Lester Brown, founder and president
of the Earth Policy Institute, and founder of the Worldwatch
Institute, along with Terry and Mary Kohler, of Windway Capital
Corp., will be the recipients of the 2009 Lindbergh Award in
recognition of their dedication to the environment.
"Mr. Brown and the Kohlers convey an outstanding spirit of
individual initiative and incredible accomplishment," said
Lindbergh Foundation Chairman John King. "This makes them perfect
recipients for our Lindbergh Award."
The Lindbergh Award is presented annually to individuals who
have made significant contributions over many years toward
improving our quality of life by balancing technological
advancements and the preservation of our environment. A gala will
be held at the EAA AirVenture Museum, in Oshkosh, WI on Saturday,
May 16, 2009. The ceremony includes a reception, silent auction,
dinner and a program, including remarks from the award
recipients.
Brown has been described by the Washington Post as "one of the
world's most influential thinkers." He is an award-winning
environmentalist and internationally recognized author of more than
50 books on global environmental issues. Before starting the Earth
Policy Institute in 2001, Mr. Brown founded Worldwatch Institute
and was its president for 26 years.
"Lester Brown is an exceptional portrayal of the Lindbergh
Foundation's ideals," said King. "He presents a realistic view of
the world, yet remains optimistic as he suggests practical
solutions to many of today's most pressing environmental
issues."
Terry Kohler is president and CEO of Windway Capital Corp., and
Mary Kohler is vice president of the Windway Foundation. Windway
Capital Corp., is the parent company of Vollrath, which
manufactures commercial-grade pots and pans; and North Sails, which
makes high-tech racing sails, including those used by America's Cup
winners.
"Terry and Mary Kohler's use of their aircraft to reintroduce
swan and crane eggs in the United States is an excellent example of
the Lindbergh Foundation's concept of balancing technology and
nature," said King. "Their commitment to this work is just what the
Foundation seeks to honor with our Lindbergh Award."
It was 1989 when then-Governor Tommy Thompson asked Mr. Kohler
to help with a project between the Wisconsin DNR and the US Fish
and Wildlife Service. They needed to transport to trumpeter swan
eggs collected from Alaska and bring them safely back to Wisconsin
and the Milwaukee Zoo. Mr. Kohler jumped at the chance. That
request launched a nearly decade-long commitment by Terry, Mary,
and the flight crew of Windway Capital who made annual flights to
Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park to bring whooping crane eggs to
the US, so the hatched birds could be returned to the wild.
In 1994, the Kohlers began supporting the Milwaukee County Zoo's
annual tracking of endangered Humboldt penguins in Chile. They also
helped rescue piping plover eggs in the Dakotas when floods
threatened the nests. But their conservation work is not limited to
birds. They also helped transport a baby orangutan from Colorado to
Wisconsin and have been involved in conservation projects related
to trout streams and aerial surveys of ancient coral beds in
Montana, and the Wisconsin ice age trail.
Mr. Kohler also made a round-the-world flight over Russia to
deliver Siberian crane eggs to Western Siberia in 1997. The trip
became the first-ever flight across Russia by a private jet. It
took 14 days and 39.2 hours of flight time. Nearly 13,000 miles
were traveled, mostly above the Arctic Circle.