CFO 2023 Directors’ Awardee: Sue Riffe
The CFO Directors’ Award is given in recognition of significant contributions to Colorado Field Ornithologists and to efforts that CFO supports. A plaque was presented to Sue Riffe at the Joint CFO/WFO Convention in Summit County.
Sue Riffe has been a CFO Board Director and the Field Trip Committee Chair since 2017. She has planned and orchestrated all the field trips for the annual CFO conventions during each of those years (CFO didn’t have a convention in 2020 and 2021). To accomplish that Sue has scouted birding sites in each area where the year’s convention was to be held, developed descriptions for each trip for the convention, and recruited leaders for each of the trips for each day of the convention. As Field Trip Committee Chair, Sue has also been a critical part of the Convention Committee and helped plan each convention.
When the COVID-19 pandemic derailed plans for the CFO convention in 2020 and 2021, Sue organized CFO’s first-ever dispersed shorebird workshop in 2021 to fill the gap or opportunities for members to get together on field trips. In developing this workshop series, Sue emphasized the need to have field trips and learning opportunities across the state of Colorado to serve CFO’s membership and the Colorado birding community. An online shorebird identification presentation by Eric Hyness (watch the workshop) was followed by field trips at locations around the state where migrating shorebirds were likely to be found in August and September. This became the model for a new type of event offered by CFO: the Colorado Field Workshop Series. Sue again planned the 2022 series with a focus on hummingbirds. Scott Rashid presented the ID workshop (watch) and field trips included visits to hummingbird banding stations around Colorado. Both year’s events were enjoyed and appreciated by members and the Colorado birding community.
Over all the years Sue has been an active and constructive participant in board discussions. Most notably, Sue is always a positive and affirming voice celebrating the successes of the board and each of its members. The CFO board recognizes Sue Riffe for her dedication and commitment to CFO.