Burdette Ehrhardt died May 5, 2011 after a prolonged illness. Along with his many conservation related activities, Burdette was the habitat chairman for Butler County Pheasants Forever. Burdette joined BCPF while it was a Quail Unlimited chapter and almost single handedly turned our "habitat program" into real program, which included consulting, equipment to plant and maintain habitat and food plots, and a state certified burn crew. Burdette used the knowledge he gained during the conversion of his own farm into wildlife habitat to the benefit of others, and in the six years he was active in BCPF, he was responsible for more than $250,000 in habitat work in Butler, Preble and Montgomery counties. In just two years, Burdette took BCPF from a fledgling chapter to the #1 PF chapter in Ohio. Pheasants Forever ranks its chapter on money spent on habitat projects completed, so this was a huge accomplishment for a chapter as new as BCPF. Burdette Ehrhardt, center, after being named the 2006 BCPF Conservationist of the Year with Scott Sloan, left, and chapter chairman Mark Metzger. Burdette also was a very active donor to Pheasants Forever through his donations of hunts on his property, most notably the Underwriter Dove Hunts. He also donated several youth hunts on the property, and several celebrity hunts. Rain or shine, Burdette and Ruth Ehrhardt always gave their all to make sure that everyone had a great time. Burdette obviously loved to share his knowledge of conservation and habitat and helped the Miami University Institute of Environmental Sciences with a habitat manual, http://www.butlercountypf.com/files/PF_handbook.pdf Because of that involvement, he also helped IES with a whitetail deer management project in Oxford, http://www.cas.muohio.edu/men/docs/psps/2007-4.pdf Burdette also allowed Miami students to study on his property, experimenting with different grasslands control and management techniques. Burdette Ehrhardt, left, with Bruce Terrill and MU IES team. For his conservation efforts, Burdette was recognized with many awards, including the 2002 NWTF Wildlife Management Excellence on Private Lands, Midwest Region and National Award, Preble County Soil and Water District Hall of Fame (2004), BCPF Conservationist of the Year (2006), Wallace I. Edwards Conservationist of the Year (2010) and BCPF Hall of Fame (2011). He was also recognized in the 2006 Quail Forever magazine with a multi-page article, and was recently recognized in the April 2011 Ohio Pheasants Forever newsletter as their inaugural Champion of Conservation. At the 2011 BCPF banquet, we were pleased to announce that a scholarship in Burdette's name had been established. This scholarship will be awarded annually to a student in an accredited school with a course of study in wildlife management, habitat management, ecology, or related fields. The scholarship will be awarded for the first time in 2012 and will be administered by the Fairfield Community Foundation. The scholarship be available to any student in any year of study. Right to the end, Burdette was a Butler County Pheasants Forever supporter, and it was his wish that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Butler County PF. You can donate via PayPal below, or you may mail a donation to Butler County Pheasants Forever, 3255 Symmes Road, Hamilton, OH 45015, with a memo on your check. throughout the years. Online condolences to the family made be made at www.barnesfuneralhome.com Burdette's online obituary may be viewed at http://www.barnesfuneralhome.com/_mgxroot/page_10769.php?id=927772 |
Burdette Ehrhardt passes
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