Given by the Bay Area Open Space Council, the award honors an individual who brings diverse people together to advance the cause of land conservation. Known for its unique assemblage of ecological communities, the proposed natural area is one of the largest remaining swaths of undeveloped land close to the Bay Area. It includes serpentine chaparral, grasslands, oak woodlands, and extensive riparian and cliff habitats.
Wildlife species abound, as do indigenous serpentine plants.
Krause became involved in this area while working as the environmental manager of Homestake Mining Company's McLaughlin Mine, located near Lake Berryessa. In addition to making the mine a model of environmental compliance, he developed plans for post-closure use of the large property that included creating a field station and working with the UC Natural Reserve System. The largest concentration of raptors in the Pacific States occurs over the Marin Headlands every fall when tens of thousands of hawks, falcons, and eagles are on the move. From August through December, volunteers from the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory spend their days identifying and counting raptors atop Hawk Hill. Through trial and error, they've even learned that not all raptors are migrating south, even though there are some that pass over the Golden Gate to points as far south as Argentina.