The annual Keesee Awards Luncheon is held in honor of Thomas W. Keesee, Jr., and to recognize those who show remarkable leadership and commitment to protecting birds and the places they need with the Keesee Conservation Award. We are proud to be celebrating our 25th Anniversary with the Keesee family and our honorees this year!
Thomas W. Keesee, Jr., was a longtime member of the National Audubon Society’s Board of Directors and served as its Chairman from 1979 to 1983. He was seen as a strong, effective leader who believed that chapters played an important role in delivering Audubon’s mission at the local level. As Chairman, he fostered ground-breaking initiatives in field work, such as the Save the Condor Program in California and the Puffin Project in Maine.
THOMAS W. KEESEE, JR., CONSERVATION AWARD WINNERS
Peter P. Marra, Dean, Earth Commons Institute for the Environment and Sustainability and Laudato Si’ Professor of Biology and the Environment at Georgetown University, for his pioneering research on migratory connectivity and furthering advances in remote tracking technologies.
Birds Canada, a national charitable organization dedicated to the conservation of birds in Canada, for revolutionizing the study of bird migration through the Motus Wildlife Tracking System.
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Metropolitan Club
One East 60th Street
New York, NY 10022
12:00 PM – Reception
12:30 PM – Luncheon and Presentation
For more information, please email Nina Garcia at nina.garcia@audubon.org.
As Dean of the Earth Commons Institute and Laudato Si' Professor of Biology and the Environment at Georgetown University, Peter P. Marra uses the study of birds to illuminate pressing environmental challenges. His research transformed migration ecology by revealing how events across seasons and continents interact to shape the lives and persistence of migratory animals. Marra has pioneered work on migratory connectivity, quantified the loss of 3 billion North American birds, and advanced remote tracking technologies that are shaping conservation worldwide.
Birds Canada is a national charitable organization dedicated to bird conservation. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System, led by Birds Canada, has revolutionized the study of bird migration. In just over a decade, the network has grown to more than 2,150 active stations in 34 countries. Motus enables researchers to track birds and other wildlife across vast distances, advancing our understanding of migration, habitat connectivity, and the challenges species face throughout their annual cycles. With data from more than 70,000 tagged individuals representing over 500 species, Motus is helping inform conservation decisions and actions at scales ranging from local stewardship to continent-wide initiatives.
With special thanks to Thomas W. Keesee, III, Marsilia Boyle, Laurie Hodgson, and Katharine S. O'Brien.
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