Awards

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission bestows the prestigious Thomas L. Quay Wildlife Diversity Award and Lawrence G. Deidrick Small Game Award to recipients who have made outstanding contributions to wildlife and wildlife conservation in North Carolina. 

Thomas L. Quay Wildlife Diversity Award

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's Thomas L. Quay Wildlife Diversity Award recognizes an individual or an organization who provides leadership in the conservation of wildlife diversity in North Carolina. The award honors an individual who has made significant, long-standing commitment to, and demonstrated leadership in promoting conservation of nongame species and their habitats in North Carolina. Nongame species are animals that have not open hunting, fishing or trapping season. The award is named for the late Thomas Quay, a retired professor of zoology at N.C. State University who passed away in 2012. A self-described “full-time volunteer and unpaid environmental activist,” Quay served on a variety of conservation boards while lobbying state agencies for various environmental causes. The award was established in 2006.

Nominations

The 2025 nomination period has ended. The recipient will be announced at a Commissioner meeting by Feb. 2026.

Anyone interested in nominating someone for the award must submit a nomination form and a detailed essay of the nominee’s contributions to wildlife conservation. The essay is limited to two pages (8 ½ x 11-inch paper, with 1-inch margins, single spaced and 12-point Times New Roman font). Submissions that exceed the 2-page limit will be disqualified and returned to the nominator. We encourage you to also include the nominees resume or CV.

Nominations may be submitted by:

• Electronic submission by Online Form and uploading supporting documents
• E-mail to Shauna Glover
• Mail to N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Wildlife Management Division, c/o Quay Wildlife Diversity Award, 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1722

In addition to this year’s nominations, nominations submitted in 2023 and 2024 will be considered. Nominations submitted before 2023 will be considered upon request. Email requests to Shauna Glover.

The Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee recommends nominees for consideration to the Wildlife Commission's Habitat, Nongame and Endangered Species Committee who select a winner who is recognized formally at a Wildlife Commission business meeting. 

2024 Recipient - Dr. Reid Wilson Laney, Raleigh

Raleigh resident Dr. Reid Wilson Laney has been named recipient of the 2024 Thomas L. Quay Wildlife Diversity Award. It’s one of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) most prestigious recognitions given to individuals who make outstanding contributions to wildlife diversity in North Carolina and are considered leaders in wildlife resource conservation.   

Dr. Laney will join 18 respected leaders in the wildlife conservation field who have been similarly recognized. The first recipient was Quay himself, a retired professor of zoology at N.C. State University and self-described “full-time volunteer and unpaid environmental activist.” 

Dr. Laney has a special passion for Atlantic sturgeon and American eel, and for mentoring future biologists. He was recognized during NCWRC’s Commission Meeting in Raleigh.   

“Dr. Laney is a lifelong conservationist by example and especially fitting for the honor of the Quay Award,” said Habitat Conservation Division Chief Shannon Deaton. “While I know him well as a fisheries expert, he will be quick to point out his passion in many other areas and new ones in his future, while always looking for a way to work with students and his colleagues to help them be successful for the benefit of species and habitats.” 

Nongame species are native animals that have no open hunting, fishing or trapping season. More than 700 nongame species call North Carolina home and include songbirds, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater mussels, fish, crustaceans, and mammals.  

Lawrence G. Diedrick Small Game Award 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's Lawrence G. Diedrick Small Game Award recognizes efforts in habitat management, education, research, the Hunting Heritage Program, or other meaningful contributions that benefit small game. In some cases, small game populations may benefit significantly from efforts focused on non-game or other species with similar habitat requirements. The award is given annually, or when appropriate, to individuals and organizations whose actions significantly and positively impact any of North Carolina’s small game populations, such as bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, squirrel or rabbit. The award is named for the late Larry Diedrick, a lawyer and former Wildlife Commissioner (1993-2001) from Rocky Mount who was well-known for his passion and advocacy of wildlife conservation, in particular small game. After Commissioner Diedrick’s death in 2002, friends made memorial contributions to the N.C. Wildlife Endowment Fund to support an annual small game award in his honor. The award was established in 2003.

Nominations

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking nominations for its Lawrence G. Diedrick Small Game Award through Wednesday, July 9. This prestigious honor recognizes meaningful contributions of an individual or organization that benefit North Carolina’s small game populations and/or small game habitat. This includes efforts in habitat management, education and research. 

Nominations can be made in two categories, Individual and Organization.

• In the Individual category, past award winners have been landowners who improved and integrated small game habitat into their forestry or farming operations.
• In the Organization category, past award winners have included corporations, government agencies and non-government organizations whose actions improved small game habitat.

Nominations must include the following information:

• Name of person or organization being nominated, including address, phone and e-mail.
• Name of person making the nomination, including address, phone and e-mail.
• Detailed description of the methods the nominee has used to further conservation of small game species.
• Commitment, effort and longevity of the nominee’s efforts.
• Accomplishments and results of the nominee’s efforts.
• How the nominee’s efforts impact small game populations at the local, regional or state-wide scale.
• The long-lasting benefit to small game populations which will result from the nominee’s efforts.

Nominations may be submitted by:

• Email  
• Mail to N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Wildlife Management Division, c/o Diedrick Small Game Award, 1722 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1722

Winners are selected by the Wildlife Commission’s Small Game Committee and are recognized formally in the fall at a Wildlife Commission business meeting. A plaque listing all winners is prominently displayed in the Wildlife Commission headquarters, and winners also receive a memento related to their efforts.

2023 Recipients - Richard Broadwell and Family, Bladen County - Indvidual; Orton Plantation, Organization in Brunswick County

Richard Broadwell and his two brothers own more than 5,000 acres adjacent to Suggs Mill Pond Game Land.  Broadwell uses prescribed burning — much of which he does himself — to conserve and actively manage his family’s land. Broadwell’s efforts are helping to restore habitat for the federally endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. This species prefers mature pine forests to dwell. He is restoring native longleaf pine on the property. He maintains the largest expanse of Atlantic white cedar in the state. The family has also donated a 1,770-acre easement to The Nature Conservancy to further ensure the long-term conservation of this species. Broadwell allows biologists and researchers to access his land and conduct surveys on nongame animals and other management activities include forest thinning and road daylighting, which allow sunlight to reach the forest floor, increasing native grasses and forbs. In addition to game species like quail, Broadwell’s efforts also benefit nongame species, such as reptiles, amphibians and songbirds. Read more about Broadwell's contributions to the conservation and management of wildlife in southeastern North Carolina.

Since conservation philanthropist Louis Bacon purchased Orton Plantation in 2010, he has transformed the property into premier habitat for bobwhite quail with the help of nearly 40 employees, including Dillon Epp, Orton’s property manager, and Dr. Theron Terhune, Orton's lead research scientist, who accepted the award on behalf on Orton on Dec. 7 in Raleigh. Similar to Broadwell, the trio has placed a heavy emphasis on thinning pine stands and prescribed fire throughout the years that have allowed grasses, wildflowers and other native vegetation to flourish across the plantation. Additionally, collaborative efforts with local universities and non-profit organizations, as well as participation in federal conservation programs such as Safe Harbor, have been integrated into Orton’s management plans. It has benefitted quail and other game species like eastern wild turkey and has enabled a large diversity of plants to grow, including rare and endemic Venus flytraps, sundews, bladderworts and pitcher plants. Many grassland species and endemic species that are declining elsewhere are found at Orton, such as eastern pine snakes, oak toads, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and other species dependent upon grasslands.  Read more about Orton's contributions to the conservation and management of wildlife in southeastern North Carolina.