Backup Documents 12/09/2014 Item # 4C 4C
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Theodore H. Below (Ted), a World War II Marine Corps veteran, moved to Naples from
Brooklyn, New York in 1955 as a plumber. He soon traded his wrench for binoculars and ever
since has played an important part in our environmental world, researching and documenting
Collier County's many species of shore and water birds for the past 40 years; and,
WHEREAS, Starting with monitoring and banding Sooty Terns in the Dry Tortugas, and Brown Pelican
populations along the southwest coast of Florida, Ted soon incorporated many other coastal
bird species into his research, which he continues to this day. His 40 years of data are the
most comprehensive and longest running in Southwest Florida and integral to coastal bird
research today; and,
WHEREAS, Ted served for 12 years as President of the Board for the Big Cypress Nature Center, the
predecessor of the Conservancy, which he helped rescue from insolvency. He also has been a
longtime member of the Board and past president for Collier County Audubon Society, now
Audubon of the Western Everglades; and,
WHEREAS, By appointment of the Collier County Board of Commissioners, Ted served for 16 years as a
member and often chairman of the Environmental Advisory Council, which is now part of the
Collier Planning Commission; and,
WHEREAS, In 1982 Ted was hired by National Audubon Society as warden/biologist at Rookery Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve which contains several thousand acres owned by
Audubon. He was transferred in 1990 to be Resource Manager at Audubon's Corkscrew
Swamp Sanctuary but has continued his coastal waterbird research all along. Audubon Florida
recognized him in 2013 with their highest honor, the buy Bradley Award for his lifetime of
service to the conservation and know/edge of birds; and,
WHEREAS, Ted is a regular speaker and presenter at community and science meetings, which feature his
excellent bird photography paired with his sage and salty wisdom.
NOW THEREFORE, be it proclaimed by the Board of County Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that
December 9th be designated as Ted Below Appreciation Day in honor of his 90th birthday and
his lifetime of devotion to the birds of our beaches and throughout the Western Everglades.
Ted Below Appreciation Day in Collier County
DONE AND ORDERED THIS 9th Day of December 2014.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COLLIER CO TY, F RIDA
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TOM HENNING, CHAIRMAN