(WNY News Now) – Mike Todd, a dedicated environmental professional with the DEC Region 9, was awarded the prestigious ‘Professional Conservationist of the Year’ award by the NYS Conservation Council for his exceptional contributions to conservation and public education.
Congratulations to Mike Todd, who received the ‘Professional Conservationist of the Year’ award from the NYS Conservation Council (NYSCC). He received this award in appreciation of his leadership for protecting our environment through sound conservation practices.
Mike started with DEC in 2003 as a Fish and Wildlife Technician at the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit after graduating from SUNY ESF. After a few positions across Western and Central New York, Mike began working as an Aquatic Biologist in the Region 9 office for the Fisheries program. His primary responsibility is an Angler Outreach and Education Specialist. In a typical year, Mike runs at least eight fishing education clinics throughout Western New York, reaching over 600 participants. These programs focus on teaching basic fishing skills by a 5-station process that Mike developed, followed by fishing to utilize the skills that participants learned.
Mike also runs the Western NY Fishing Hotline, which is updated every week or two throughout the year. The hotline webpage is commonly among the most visited webpages for DEC and was visited nearly 90,000 times in 2023. Mike also provides public outreach at sportmen’s shows, fishing expos, and county fairs.
While Mike’s primary focus is education and outreach, he also coordinates all of the Region 9 salmonid stocking activities in Lake Ontario to ensure the best possible survival and avoid predation by cormorants, works with local sportsman federations running four net pen projects that raise Chinooks and steelhead for the Great Lakes, and provides Article 15 review and input for both Niagara and Erie County.
Congratulations Mike! Thank you for all that you do for Region 9!
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