By Karen Robes Meeks
The Port of Stockton has netted two 2017 American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Awards.
The port won the 2017 Environmental Enhancement Award for the Antioch Dunes Restoration Project, and the 2017 Stakeholder Education, Awareness and Involvement Award for Barn Owl Nest Boxes program. The awards will be presented on October 4 at the AAPA Awards Luncheon in Long Beach, California.
The Antioch project is a joint effort between the port and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge.
“When we realized that the Fish and Wildlife Service needed sand at Antioch Dunes, it made perfect sense to pump the sand from the river bed to restore the dunes,” said port director Richard Aschieris.
“We see this program as just one way we can support the environment and our community, and receiving this year’s Environmental Enhancement Award from the AAPA is an added bonus.”
With the Barn Owl Nest Box Program, the port constructed 16 nests to raise the barn owl population. The nests also have cameras so the public can monitor the owls by logging on the port website.
“We had 40,000 hits from visitors watching our owl boxes last year,” said Jeffrey Wingfield, Environmental and Public Affairs Director for the Port of Stockton. “By installing owl boxes, we have substantially increased the barn owl population to help with rodent and pest control. We also received a huge response from the public, which has really increased awareness for the role the Port plays in maintaining the Delta’s ecosystem.”
