Ranger Peer Award recipient recognized for reaching out to Warriors in Transition

Courtesy Photo | Kansas City District Park Ranger Caleb Snider from the Milford Lake Project Office presents the 2016 Ranger Peer Award to Perry Lake Park Ranger Kyle Ruona. Photo by Kim Penner.  

KS, UNITED STATES

05.05.2016

Story by Sara Goodeyon 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Each year the Kansas City District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Rangers Community of Practice recognize one of their own for outstanding accomplishments in the performance of their duties.
This year’s recipient, Kyle Ruona a park ranger at Perry Lake, received the award for organizing a Wounded Warrior Hunt at the lake, creating a positive experience at a Corps project for those who have served our country.
“Kyle took his passion for hunting and found a way for the Corps to give back to the Soldiers who serve our country every day,” said Jason Hurley, Perry Lake park manager. “Kyle formed a partnership with the Warriors in Transition Battalion at Fort Riley and at the local and national-level with other partners, to provide an unforgettable deer and turkey hunting experience for the men and women in uniform.”
The hunt took place over the weekend of Dec. 4 – 6 at Perry Lake in Kansas. Soldiers, some of whom had never been hunting, paired up with experienced hunters for the weekend. They had warm meals provided by the local American Legion, cabins provided by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, and used pre-constructed, heated hunting blinds.
Due to the nature of their disabilities, many of the Soldiers in the Warrior Transition Battalion might not be able to hunt were it not for specialized events such as this. Moreover, for at least a couple of days, the Soldiers could escape from their injuries or illness and experience the outdoors doing something they enjoy.
“Providing them an opportunity to spend the weekend at Perry Lake to go hunting, and experience a stress-free environment has been very beneficial in the healing process for the Soldiers,” said Ruona. “The event has also been an opportunity for the community to get involved and give back through donations and volunteer work. The Perry Lake Warrior Hunts have truly become life-changing experiences for everyone involved.”
Ruona was also recognized for his role to transform an abandoned pond into a kid’s fishing area that will feature a walking trail, installed fish habitat, annual fish stocking, and an accessible dock. The project will provide a recreational opportunity for visitors that does not exist locally. The Outlet Park Kid’s Fishing Pond will open to visitors by late spring of 2017.
Ruona received the award during the Kansas City District Biennial Natural Resource Meeting in Manhattan, Kan. Feb. 21.
Park rangers, park managers, operations project managers and interns can nominate a ranger for the award. The award honors creativity and originality, making a positive experience for visitors, management, supervision, leadership and administration, recreation management, natural resources stewardship, environmental compliance, or interpretive services, partnerships and outreach.
The Operations Division Technical Resources staff reviewed all nominations and selected the top three nominations. Then all park rangers and park managers voted on the top three nominees, truly making this a peer award.
For Ruona, such recognition from his peers is gratifying, but he says it is really all about the entire team.
“Receiving the 2016 Park Ranger Peer Recognition Award is a great honor. Although the award is for individual achievement, I feel that it speaks more to the teamwork put together by my coworkers and managers. I would never be able to achieve the work that I do without the trust and support from my managers and help from my coworkers,” said Ruona. “Every day my goal is to leave the lake project knowing that I did something to make the place better whether it is big or small.”

Here are all of the Natural Resource Management nominees for the 2016 Ranger Peer Award:
Jim Bell, Hillsdale Lake
Ryan Williams, Kanopolis Lake
Kyle Ruona, Perry Lake
Kyle Broockerd, Clinton Lake
Kylie Ward, Harry S. Truman Lake
Thad Cheaney, Stockton Lake
Bradley Wright, Stockton lake

• Date Taken: 05.05.2016
• Date Posted: 05.05.2016 12:27
• Story ID: 197397
• Location: KS, US