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Keesee Awards Luncheon

We look forward to honoring Peter P. Marra and Birds Canada together on November 17, 2026.
Previous Honorees RSVPs Coming Soon

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.

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.

Transforming Our Understanding of Migration

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 the Motus Wildlife Tracking System.

EVENT DETAILS

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.

RSVPs Coming Soon

 

ABOUT OUR HONOREES

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. He 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.

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. By making all Motus data publicly available, Birds Canada enables researchers and conservationists internationally to work together to better understand and protect biodiversity.

THANKS TO OUR HOST COMMITTEE

Coming soon.