Most people can’t wait for their annual vacation—time to kick back, slack off a bit and recharge. A sandy beach in some tropical haven, maybe, lazing by a pool, cool drink in hand, with everything at the ready.
However, for RMOWP member Margaret Frisina and her husband Mike, of Butte, Montana, vacations over the past quarter of a century have meant stuffing the duffle bags with gear, packing the cameras, updating vaccinations and heading out for some of the most remote wildlife habitat on earth. One of their major achievements was completing the first scientifically repeatable nation-wide survey of Mongolian argali (the world’s largest wild mountain sheep), an effort that took them by jeep, horse and foot from the high Altai Mountains to the Gobi Desert. The couple will return this fall to conduct the third such comprehensive population survey.
The Frisinas find their most energizing times are in the field with the world’s wild creatures—from the far reaching range of mountain sheep races to rare goats of Pakistan to the exotic Chinese Pere David’s Deer with its elegant backward swept antlers, their conservation work has been a big reward in itself. So when Wild Sheep Foundation Chairman, Jack Atcheson Jr., selected the Frisinas to receive the 2013 Chairman’s Award, it was award upon reward.
The couple was honored both for their scientific work and conservation education efforts through popular and technical publications through the written word and photographs. Both are life-long photographers.
The Wild Sheep Foundation raises millions of dollars annually dedicated to the conservation of mountain wildlife and has many state clubs, including the Montana Chapter, as well as international affiliates.