2025 Awardee: Kristal Stoner
Kristal Stoner currently servers as Vice President of the National Audubon Society and Executive Director of the Audubon Great Plains, a role in which she provides strategic oversight of conservation programs spanning Nebraska's prairies, river, working lands, and communities. In this capacity, she directs two national recognized nature centers, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center and the Ian Nicholson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary, where education, bird conservation, and habitat ehancement are central pillars of the mission.
Prior to her leadership at Audubon, Kristal served as the Wildlife Diversity Program Manager at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. In that role, she co-authored and implemented Nebraska's State Wildlife Action Plan, a comprehensive framework for conserving at-risk species through cross-divisional, multi-landscape, and public-private partnerships. This plan continues to serve as a guiding conservation document for the state. Her tenure at Game and Parks also included co-leading the launch of the Nebraska Master Naturalist Program, which continues to empower Nebraskans to contribute meaningfully to conservation efforts across th state.
Throughout her career, Kristal has cultivated and sustained relationships with some of the most influential wildlife conservation organizations in the region and nation. She servers on multiple U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Join Ventrure Boards, where she actively works to expand regional bird conservation. Kristal is a terrific voice for conservation in Nebraska and beyond. Whether addressing policymakers, landowners, students, or the general public, she communicates the urgency and the opportunity of Great Plains conservation with clarity and passion.
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This prestigious award honors members of our community who have devoted their lives to conservation of wildlife and have inspired many others through their work and accomplishments. Members of the UNL Wildlife Club solicit nominations for this award each spring, and the Wildlife Club’s officer team selects the winner of the award.