Tim Tunison was honored for 25 years of contributions to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, including the development of programs that spread throughout the State and the National Park Service. He joined the Hawaii Volcanoes staff in 1982 as a junior resource specialist and rose to the Chief of Resources Management at the Park in 1995.

He pioneered invasive species management strategies, focusing first on areas with high ecological values, where weed densities were still low and manageable. Once those areas were protected, he moved on to more degraded areas and demonstrated that even areas overwhelmed by alien weeds can be at least partially restored. His strategies are now being implemented in federal parks on the mainland, where the battle against invasive species is just beginning.

Tunison also guided the expansion of Hawaii Volcanoes’ wildlife and cultural resource programs, and initiated resource management in the new 116,000-acre Kahuku Ranch addition to the Park. In presenting the award, coworker Rhonda Loh said his “curiosity and openness to new ideas has made him a successful mentor to a new generation of conservation managers and researchers in the Sate. I have been extremely lucky to have him as my mentor for the last 15 years.”