Two of Audubon California’s conservation team members – Marcos Trinidad and Samantha Arthur – were recognized in their communities recently.

Marcos Trinidad, director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles – received his local city council district’s Veteran of the Year award. Trinidad is an Army veteran who spent three years stationed in Germany and also served as a Cavalry scout.

As the award reads, “In addition to his military service, Marcos continues to serve in creating a more environmentally inclusive Los Angeles … Marcos is an an award-winning leader in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environmental movement, including co-directing LA’s Environmental Professionals of Color chapter. 

Samantha Arthur, conservation project director for Audubon California, won the Central Valley Bird Club’s inaugural Conservation Award for her work to protect the Tricolored Blackbird.

The award noted Arthur’s tremendous work piloting the Tricolored Blackbird Working Group and running Audubon California’s program, which has protected tens of thousands of rare Tricolored Blackbirds in recent years. The award noted her many contributions to the program, from authoring papers to advocating for the bird’s recent listing under the California Endangered Species Act.