Ecology Action Volunteer Mike Rogan, Recipent of the 60th Legend Award
Pitching in 1,500+ volunteer hours, Mike Rogan helped Ecology Action of Texas transform a closed municipal landfill into a robust nature preserve.
RecognizeGood honored Mike Rogan of Ecology Action of Texas with the 60th RecognizeGood® Legend award in a presentation at Ecology Action of Texas – Circle Acres (Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741), beginning at 9:00 am on Tuesday, October 4th, 2016. During this event, RecognizeGood made a $1,000 pay-it-forward donation to Ecology Action of Texas in Mike’s name.
Some volunteers just don’t know how to stop giving. Mike Rogan, longtime volunteer for Ecology Action of Texas, a recycling and environmental education center, is just such a case. When Ecology Action first began formulating a plan to rehabilitate Circle Acres, a former landfill and “brownfield” in Austin’s Montopolis neighborhood, Mike came on board to identify the dozens of different bird and other wildlife species on the site. As Mike walked the site each day, he quickly began to drive the development of the entire project. Before long he had blazed and designed every walking trail on the site. Additionally, he made detailed improvements to the project’s infrastructure, and identified over 150 species of wildlife. When flash floods created erosion issues on the property, Mike actually built a check dam to redirect creek flow all on his own – literally moving boulders, singlehandedly!
Today, Circle Acres is one of Ecology Action’s biggest successes. The project is home to a 3-acre wetland tract supporting a robust urban forest and bird population. The site is set to open to the public later this year. It’s no surprise that Mike Rogan remains a vital part of the operations, never missing a volunteer event. Additionally, he served as a volunteer manager leading teams to build trails, work on litter abatement and remove invasive species.
As a 2016 Legend, Mike is now eligible to participate in RecognizeGood’s Say Thanks Austin campaign. This annual event presents Central Texas with a unique opportunity to say “thank you” to a group of remarkable individuals. The participant with the most Thank You votes receives a pay-it-forward donation of $10,000 to the nonprofit of their choice.
View Mike’s official Legend page, including video and photos from her presentation ceremony.
