Remembering Joe Roller

[Duane Nelson]

Birders,

Like many people he touched, I wanted to share a personal recollection of Joe Roller. I got to know him in the 1980s, and we were friends for almost 40 years, but one memory stands out to me.

Unknown to me, Joe nominated me in 2012 for Bird Conservancy of the Rockies most prestigious award, the Richard G. Levad Award, for my decades of working with Piping Plovers and Least Terns in Colorado. He vetted me with my former associates at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Albuquerque District) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. I was invited to attend the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies annual picnic at Barr Lake, where I was shocked to receive the award, with many supporters in presence. Joe and I had been long-term friends, but we were bonded for life by this event. To say it was a highlight of my personal and professional career would be an understatement.

I was so touched by Joe's initiative that I wanted to give back to Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. For many years, I conducted annual tours to SE Colorado to see Piping Plovers and Least Terns in coordination with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies for their Board of Directors and most dedicated supporters. I made lifelong friends and connections with a lot of really great people. And I owe it all to Joe Roller. 

Rest in peace, my friend.

Duane Nelson

Las Animas, Bent County, CO