Save the Dunes honors former parks director, Notre Dame student group
As he finishes a long career with the National Park Service, Chris Pergiel called recognition from a local organization “a great honor.”
“I especially think it means something to me this year,” said Pergiel, former deputy superintendent of Indiana Dunes State Park. “The timing was good, and I think the relationship between the organization, Save the Dunes, and Indiana Dunes National Park is as good and productive as it has ever been.”
Pergiel received the Paul H. Douglas Memorial Award from Save the Dunes, a Michigan City-based organization dedicated to the preservation and defense of the park. The Paul H. Douglas Award is the highest honor bestowed by the organization, according to Save the Dunes, and is given to an individual recognized for their work in preserving and protecting the Indiana Dunes.
Pergiel worked for the National Park Service for more than 40 years and held various positions within the department, including law enforcement ranger, chief ranger and assistant superintendent. He has worked in parks across the country, including Arizona, Alaska, California and Indiana.
His experience with Indiana Dunes National Park was “eye-opening,” Pergiel said, and it allowed him to work closely with local partners, including Save the Dunes.
“In many other national parks, everything is focused internally and we work with the surrounding communities, but not as directly,” Pergiel said. “At Indiana Dunes National Park, it’s all about partnerships. »
The national park relies on local partners to help preserve and defend the dunes, Pergiel said.
Betsy Maher, executive director of Save the Dunes, said the organization has worked with Pergiel for years and that he has advanced many protections for Indiana’s dunes and helped secure more than $33 million for the park.
“I have met Chris countless times and can personally attest to his character and how deserving he is of this award,” Maher said. “He’s been a mentor to many people within the national park. … He’s known for being a steady hand and he’s been able to navigate what could really be transitions and destabilizing times for the national park.”
Pergiel doesn’t have specific plans to help the park retire, but he thinks everyone should lend a hand if possible, especially with changes in federal funding for national parks.
“Never in my history has there been such an attack on federal employees, on federal institutions, on the conservation of national park lands, on the protection of the environment as a whole,” Pergiel said. “I don’t think there’s ever been a more important time to get involved. … I think we owe it to ourselves, first and foremost, to get out and enjoy the national parks because that’s our first line of defense.”
Save the Dunes also presents the Dorothy Buell Youth Environmental Award, which is given to an individual or group ages 13 to 24 who advocates for the environment in the Lake Michigan watershed.
This year, the Notre Dame Student Policy Network received the youth award. The group is an entirely student-run undergraduate organization “demonstrating exceptional dedication to environmental stewardship and political engagement,” according to Save the Dunes.
Members of the Notre Dame Student Policy Network were not immediately able to respond to request for comment. However, according to Save the Dunes, the group has completed more than 60 projects with more than 40 partner organizations and advocated for the environment throughout the state.
“We have been very impressed with the caliber of policy analysis and recommendations that consistently come from the student body,” Maher said. “They come to our headquarters every year and give presentations on various environmental issues. »
Maher believes it is important for Save the Dunes to recognize those who work to improve Indiana’s environment. Save the Dunes is one of the oldest environmental organizations in the state, Maher said, and she wants to continue advocating its cause in the years to come.
“We started as a local, all-volunteer, all-female board, and many of the victories in our early years can be attributed to people who care about the environment and personally make the effort to do what sometimes seems impossible,” Maher said. “We are honored to continue to recognize individuals who bring this passion for protecting Indiana’s sand dunes that advances our work today.” »
mwilkins@chicagotribune.com
