BLANCHARDVILLE — Jim Hess, of rural Blanchardville, recently received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW).  

 “Jim has served as a County Contact in Lafayette and Grant counties for many years,” BRAW President Steve Sample said. “He has educated countless numbers of folks by hosting monitoring events.”

Hess and wife, Marci, have focused on environmental issues at their 60-acre property in Lafayette County. 

“We have worked on restoring the native prairies, oak savannas and oak woods,” Hess said.

As the Conservation Chair for the Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Chapter, he leads workdays to clear invasive plants, plus plant native trees, grasses and forbes to create habitat for birds.

“Mark Martin, Goose Pond manager, Arlington, gave us our first bluebird and kestrel boxes,” Hess said. “The late Carol McDaniel of the Lafayette County Bluebird Society was a great mentor, too.”

For two decades, Hess has monitored a 25-nest box bluebird trail, as well as 10 kestrel houses.  

“Growing up I was fascinated with purple martins that used the house my parents erected for them,” Hess said.

He now participates in two Christmas Bird Counts each year.  

“While we often see new bird species, we’re also counting fewer bird numbers,” Hess said.

In noting that birds need insects, Hess said, “We should plant and restore native habitat with insect conservation in mind.”

Established in 1986, BRAW’s 900 members manage and monitor 7,000 nest boxes statewide, which annually produce thousands of bluebird fledglings and a like number of other native cavity nesters. More information about BRAW and bluebirds is available at: www.braw.org.