Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Director of Stewardship Todd Bauman Honored with Rosalie Edge Conservation Award
Posted on November 18, 2025 in General
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is proud to announce that Director of Stewardship Todd Bauman received the Rosalie Edge Conservation Award from the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) at their annual banquet on Friday, November 14, 2025. This award recognizes individuals whose work exemplifies the bold conservation spirit of Rosalie Edge, the visionary activist who founded Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in 1934, and is awarded at the annual banquet to one or more non-members of the Club who have made a significant contribution to conservation of the environment.
The Rosalie Edge Conservation Award was established by DVOC to honor Edge’s groundbreaking leadership in bird protection. Nearly a century ago, Rosalie Edge learned of the mass shooting of migrating raptors along Pennsylvania’s Kittatinny Ridge. In response, she purchased 1,400 acres on Hawk Mountain, immediately halted the killing, and hired Maurice and Irma Broun to safeguard the site and welcome visitors. Her bold actions transformed Hawk Mountain into the world’s first refuge for birds of prey and set the stage for a global movement in raptor conservation.
Today, Hawk Mountain continues to uphold Edge’s legacy thanks to the dedication of leaders like Todd Bauman, who joined the Sanctuary in 1995. Over the last three decades, Bauman has become a central figure in the stewardship, restoration, and protection of the Mountain’s globally significant migration corridor.
“Todd embodies everything Rosalie Edge stood for,” said Holly Merker, Hawk Mountain Board Member who nominated Bauman for the award. “In everything Bauman does both on and off the mountain, he carries the torch forward illuminating what it is to be a conservationist through land management, stewardship, education, and science. There is simply no one more deserving of this honor.”
Over his three decades at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Todd Bauman has led transformative work in land stewardship, education, and conservation science. He has driven major forest restoration efforts: establishing a native tree nursery, leading invasive plant control, and creating large deer exclosures that have revitalized native understory habitat. Bauman has also overseen substantial improvements to public access, including ADA-accessible trails and a new outdoor classroom and amphitheater that enhance learning opportunities for all visitors.
His commitment to mentoring the next generation is evident through his leadership of the Hawk Mountain Conservation Corps and his guidance of Conservation Science Trainees from around the world, many of whom have gone on to establish important migration monitoring sites. In addition, Bauman has contributed to critical research on species such as northern saw-whet owls, timber rattlesnakes, and cerulean warblers, while also supporting university groups, naturalist programs, and numerous opportunities of field-based learning. His dedication also extends to visitor safety as a longtime Search and Rescue Emergency Responder on Sanctuary property. Through all of this work, Bauman has played an essential role in protecting the Sanctuary’s forested landscape, enriching public engagement, and advancing global raptor and habitat conservation.
For thirty years, Bauman has poured his energy, expertise, and heart into maintaining the ecological integrity of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. His work benefits not only the diverse wildlife that depends on the Kittatinny Ridge but also the thousands of people who visit annually to explore and experience the outdoors.
“Each day, Todd lives out the mission set forth by Rosalie Edge,” Holly Merker added. “His stewardship ensures Hawk Mountain remains the world’s foremost global raptor conservation center. He has gone above and beyond, giving his heart and soul to this treasured location here in Pennsylvania. There is no other more worthy of this award.”