The FLTWS Citizen Conservation Award

Ralph and Clayton (Clay) DeGayner are brothers from Michigan who upon retirement, became fulltime volunteers. Each brother, along with their spouses, spend at least half of each year in Florida where they fully immerse themselves all things conservation, especially within the Florida Keys.

In the early 2000s, it was well-established that the Key Largo woodrat was on the brink of extinction, with one study estimating that as few as 50 individuals left in the wild, down from approximately 6,500 individuals in the 1980s. The direness of the situation stuck with them, and in 2002, Ralph became an active volunteer with Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge and was joined by Clay in 2005. Saving the Key Largo woodrat from extinction became their personal mission. As volunteers, they have collectively logged approximately 11,000 volunteer hours with the Refuge and led projects on habitat management, habitat restoration, and controlling invasive species.

One concern with the Key Largo woodrat was it may have lacked nesting sites due to changes in the natural disturbances that historically shaped its habitat. Therefore, upon hearing that nesting sites may be limiting the woodrats’ population growth, Ralph and Clay developed a mostly naturally-made supplemental nest structure that provided all the essentials – overhead shelter, a cavity to raise a family, and escape routes from predators. They strategically deployed these where they knew woodrats occurred, and to date, over 1,600 supplemental nest structures are systematically placed throughout north Key Largo. Not only have these nest structures reconnected long-term isolated populations, by placing video cameras in and around a nests, the DeGayner’s have collected much-needed information on the subspecies’ behavior, including reproduction, interactions with other species, and have helped track population expansion and growth.

Beyond, the DeGayner’s have developed outreach and educational materials for the local community, including getting the information into the classrooms for elementary students. Moreover, Ralph and Clay have supported multiple masters and Ph.D. students from around the US and abroad with their research. The overall success of saving the Key Largo woodrat from extinction has been a team effort, but 90-something percent of this credit is due to generosity, passion, and financial and logistical support. Ralph and Clay DeGayner are true conservation heroes and it is an honor to nominate them for the Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s Citizen Conservation Award.