The legacy of a pair of farmer brothers in the survival of a sandy-brown, 8-inch shorebird species that breeds in far western Nebraska will be marked Wednesday in Kearney, Neb.
But there will be sadness mixed with the joy.
The Nebraska Bird Partnership will honor Bernie and Dan Culek of Kimball, Neb., with an award for land stewardship practices benefiting imperiled mountain plovers on their Kimball County farm.
The brothers, however, won't be there. Dan will be burying Bernie, 56, who died Friday after a long struggle with colon cancer.
The award has been in the works for about two months, and the Culeks only recently learned of the tribute.
“I plan on carrying this out,” Culek said of the brothers' bird-friendly farming practices. “We need to preserve what we can of this land. If you abuse it, you'll lose it.”
The Culeks farmed around bird nests for decades. Since 2002, they farmed around 135 mountain plover nests, saving an estimated 405 bird eggs that would have been lost to tillage in their winter wheat and millet fields.
Coupled with organic farming practices, the brothers' land is rich in bird diversity. Their fields harbor the greatest density of mountain plovers in Nebraska.
Despite their name, mountain plovers don't breed in the mountains or the shore. They prefer shortgrass prairies. They are considered a species of special concern because of threats to their nesting grounds.
In about a month, Culek expects to find the birds' pebble nests in his emerging winter wheat fields.
“They'll nest on the bare ground through hot sun and hail storms,” Culek said. “They're quite the creatures. They deserve a chance.”
Nearly every farmer in southern Kimball County has followed the Culeks' example and is aiding and implementing mountain plover conservation practices, according to the Nebraska Bird Partnership.
Other awards will be presented to Paul Johnsgard of Lincoln for his contributions to the bird conservation mission of the Nebraska Bird Partnership; the Nebraska Bird Library project, the first state-based online resource in the country to help beginners identify and learn more about birds; and Jim Douglas, deputy director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for leadership in bird conservation.
The awards will be presented during a luncheon at the Younces Conference Center.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1127, david.hendee@owh.com
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