2005 Award Winners

The Iowa Association of Naturalists (IAN) and the Iowa Conservation Education Council (ICEC) are proud to announce this year’s recipients of their Conservation and Environmental Education Excellence Awards Program. The winners are as follows:

Bohumil Shimek Environmental Educator Award: Barbara Tagami, Dickinson County Conservation Board Naturalist. This award commends outstanding efforts by an environmental educator.

• Naturalist at Dickinson CCB for six years.
• Created and developed annual events such as Monarch Butterfly Larva Monitoring program, Kayak Treasure Hunt and Clean up event, Life on the Farm, Earth Day Environmental Learning Fair.
• Assisted with the planning for a new nature center.
• Produced a TV show called “LAKES ALIVE” to educate public about ecology of lakes, invasive exotics, low impact development, rain gardens, and more.

Chris Holt Youth Environmental Education Award: Kevin Farmer, West Elementary, Glenwood Community Schools. This award commends an outstanding EE program for or by youth.

• The 6th grade Science Camp for Glenwood Community Schools is held at Camp Neyati. Over the course of two days, students participate in 16 environmental science classes.
• Some of the activities include pond study, prairie and the Loess Hills, predator/prey relationships, team building, fishing, canoeing, night hike, stargazing, and more.
• Kevin Farmer has been the principal at West Elementary for five years. He helped initiate and develop the camp.
• Throughout the week, over 50 Glenwood High School students, parents, teachers and volunteers teach and supervise the students.

"Ding" Darling Environmental Education Award: U.I. Wild. This award commends an outstanding environmental education program or event which educates the general public.

• Programs include Wildlife Campus, Hawk Migration Studies, MacBride Raptor Project, and School of the Wild.
• School of the Wild provides a five-day experience for school children. Students are assigned to five groups who rotate through the following areas of study: the prairie, wetlands, birds, outdoor adventures, and woodlands.
• MacBride Raptor Project offers a variety of education programs, rehabilitation, and research. Numerous veterinarians, students, rehabilitators, and volunteers help with the project.

Frederic Leopold Environmental Education Award: Clinton County Enviro Kids Team. This award commends outstanding environmental education efforts by business, industry, or labor.

• Program was conceived and organized by private businesses in Clinton County . Specifically Bemis Clysar Inc., Clinton County Area Solid Waste Agency, and Lyondell Plastics Co (Equistar).
• These businesses developed the Enviro Kids program because they want to promote long-term understanding of the interdependence of industry, people, and the environment.
• Enviro Kids is a program for 3rd-5th graders. Students can participate and experience everything from a tour of a local manufacturing facility to a boat ride on the Mississippi River.

Outstanding County Conservation Board EE Program (> 35,000): Marshall County Conservation Department. This award commends excellence in a county conservation board’s EE program of counties with a population of more than 35,000.

• Grimes Farm & Conservation Center opened in Oct. 2003. During the 2004-2005 fiscal year, there were approx. 3,650 visitors from 32 states and seven countries.
• Developed Adopt a Drawer Community Service Project. Schools, scouts, and local groups sponsored drawers in the Discovery Table for $100/drawer.
• EE programming was presented at 100% of the elementary and 71% of secondary buildings in the county.
• Conducts a variety of special programs like: Uncle Ikes Nature Program, Nature Friends, Junior Conservationists, Master Conservationists, and Brown Bag Bunch Series.
• Cooperates with numerous agencies and organizations to provide environmental education in Marshall County.