Robert Luna is aware of Toppenish Nationwide Wildlife Refuge higher than anybody else.
As an engineering gear operator for greater than 33 years, Luna has devoted his life to sustaining the refuge and bettering its habitat for crops and animals. In recognition of his innovation, ardour, and diligence, Luna was named the Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Affiliation’s Refuge Worker of the 12 months.
“Robert has been the guts and soul of Toppenish Nationwide Wildlife Refuge for greater than three a long time, and his contributions are past measure,” mentioned Trevor Sheffels, the performing deputy mission chief for the Central Washington Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Advanced. “He’s at all times centered on advancing the refuge mission, which is obvious by means of the dedication he reveals each day and his willingness to go above and past. Robert can also be fast to supply to assist others, each professionally and personally. He’s a well-respected member of the local people, and the refuge system couldn’t ask for a greater ambassador. It’s an honor to work with Robert and study from his huge expertise.”
Regardless of his accomplishments, Luna was stunned to listen to that he acquired an award.
“I by no means do something for reward,” Luna mentioned. “I let my work converse for itself. I’m pleased with what I do and I’m at all times pleased to point out anyone the sort of work I do. I see the imaginative and prescient of the Fish and Wildlife Service, and , I get pleasure from it.”
At nationwide wildlife refuges throughout the nation, passionate folks like Luna are working to make sure current and future generations will be capable of benefit from the wildlife and wild locations that outline America. Established to guard wildlife, crops, and the locations they rely upon to reside and develop, refuges defend virtually a billion acres of public land and water – from the Mariana Trench within the Pacific Ocean and to wetlands in Toppenish, Washington.
Luna began working at Toppenish as a teen when he joined a Youth Conservation Corps work program. He’s stayed with Toppenish for nearly all his profession. Engineering gear operators are key members of a refuge’s administration group, restoring habitat, sustaining water buildings, creating roads and trails, and extra.
“I wished to study gear operations, and the refuge had a chance for me to take a look at what they did,” Luna mentioned. “I used to be in a position to come out right here as a youth to study new expertise and get some job coaching.”
Luna was born in Los Angeles, California, and he and his household moved to Toppenish within the Nineteen Eighties. He was nonetheless a baby once they moved, and the small city was a completely new expertise. Earlier than becoming a member of the Youth Conservation Corps, he didn’t know the refuge existed.
“It was a brand new journey for us to maneuver from the massive metropolis to the nation,” Luna mentioned. “I didn’t find out about wetlands or something. After I was launched to the refuge, I wished to study gear operation. However then I began studying about wildlife and wetland administration.”
He actually loved the expertise, particularly working open air and the camaraderie of the crew. His supervisor on the time, a wage grade gear operator, took an curiosity in Luna. He advised Luna that he had a future on the refuge.
“He advised me I used to be going to do properly right here,” Luna mentioned. “And the remainder is historical past. I simply match proper in.”
Day by day seems just a little completely different for Luna. This spring, he’s been drawing down the water within the refuge’s wetlands in preparation for summer time fieldwork. Drawing down wetlands can stimulate several types of plant development and supply for foraging alternatives for birds and different wildlife. Luna’s day begins at 7:00am when he checks on the pumps and makes certain that the refuge’s industrious beaver inhabitants hasn’t constructed up dams. The beavers prefer it when the wetlands are full, however when the water dissipates they begin constructing dams.
“I simply received on the market and clear them up each morning,” Luna mentioned. “The beavers don’t hand over and I don’t hand over.”
In response to Sheffels, Luna recurrently comes up with modern concepts within the day-to-day administration of the refuge. For instance, Luna just lately seen a shift in irrigation practices by a non-public landowner adjoining to the refuge. His observations led to his advice to increase a supply ditch and set up two new water management buildings. Not solely did his design present a approach to cope with extra water that had been flowing to the refuge, but it surely additionally re-routed that very same water to a different wetland unit for useful wildlife use.
Luna additionally takes on jobs which can be properly outdoors his place. Though his title is the refuge’s Engineering Gear Operator, he additionally completes the duties of a upkeep employee, supervisor, biologist, and customer providers specialist. Throughout this interview, somebody knocked on the door and Luna stood as much as reply. A couple of minutes later he got here again and sat down, smiling.
“We had a stranded motorist out entrance on the guests middle and he wanted water,” Luna mentioned. “Like I mentioned, I plan for one factor and do 100 different issues throughout the course of the day.”
Along with serving to guests, Luna additionally will get to expertise of the great thing about the refuge each day, typically in solitude. He advised me a few morning when he noticed a pack of coyote pups, and others when he’s seen bears. Three weeks in the past he noticed a cormorant, an uncommon fowl to see at Toppenish because of the refuge’s distance from the ocean or massive our bodies of water.
Sooner or later he was testing some beaver dams and heard a loud cry. When he received out of his truck, he noticed a fawn on the aspect of the street. As quickly as he received out, a doe omitted.
“Mama jumped out,” Luna mentioned, laughing. “I assumed, ‘oh, she’s going to be nice.’”
Simply as Luna began on the refuge 33 years in the past as a teen, he has supervised Youth Conservation Corps crews and tries to supply the identical sort of influential experiences that he had. He talked about that he typically sees youngsters – typically who’ve grown into adults – in the neighborhood, they usually’ll stroll as much as him and provides him a hug.
“Youth Conservation Corps is a superb program,” Luna mentioned. “Me and all these youngsters got here by means of this system, and even a few years later I nonetheless have the privilege of seeing them on the town and shifting on in life. It’s superior.”
Luna has shared his love for wildlife and wild locations along with his household. He has 4 youngsters – two ladies and two boys. His third youngster is graduating this yr with a wildlife biology diploma. Luna received choked up when he talked about her accomplishments.
“She at all times heard my tales,” Luna mentioned. “She received and mentioned, ‘I wish to be a wildlife biologist.’ I advised her she could possibly be a health care provider or nurse or something, however she wished to enter the identical discipline that I’m in.”
An awards ceremony will likely be held on September 18, 2024, on the Mayflower Lodge in Washington, D.C. to rejoice Luna and all Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Affiliation award winners. Keynote audio system embody Sally Jewell, a former U.S. Secretary of the Inside, and Lynn Scarlett, a former U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Inside. The Grasp of Ceremonies is Wayne Hubbard, the host and producer of City American Outside.
In case you are all for working at a
Study extra about nationwide wildlife refuge , hold updated on accessible job alternatives at https://www.fws.gov/jobs.
Concerning the Central Washington Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Advanced: The 4 refuges that make up the Central Washington Nationwide Wildlife Refuge Advanced defend a splendidly numerous mix of habitats and species and supply quite a lot of leisure alternatives. There’s one thing to be discovered by everybody that can pique their curiosity or pull them into the panorama. A geology buff? Go to Columbia Nationwide Wildlife Refuge, carved by the good floods of the final ice age. Want a scenic panorama to color or just unwind in? Conboy Lake is the spot. Occupied with our historical past? The Hanford Attain Nationwide Monument is the place to analyze. Need to add to your birding life listing? Examine the spring and fall migrations by means of Toppenish.
