Iowa Association of Naturalists

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2007 IAN/ICEC Conservation and Environmental Education Excellence Award Winners

The Iowa Association of Naturalists (IAN) and the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition (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: Michael Havlik, Des Moines Y-Camp near Boone. This award commends outstanding efforts by an environmental educator. Michael Havlik has proven himself to be an innovator of residential environmental education programs in the state. His enthusiasm and creativity with his programs has made a positive impact on students, teachers, and parents. “He has the uncanny ability of making everything about the outdoors fun.” – Steve Molitor. “Mike Marsh changed my life from the first time I met him.” – Grace

Chris Holt Youth Environmental Education Award: Mahaska County Youth Outdoor Field Day. This award commends an outstanding EE program for or by youth. In September of 2007 the 4th Annual Youth Outdoor Field Day was held at the MCCB's Russell Wildlife Area. In four years the program has grown from serving 45 children to over 200. In 2007 nearly 200 parents and grandparents of the participating youth attended as well. The programs and activities are designed to be hands on, taught by experts with a passion for their outdoor sport. Members from numerous organizations volunteer to make this program a
success.

”Ding” Darling Environmental Education Award: Katie Knight’s Going Green bag program. This award commends an outstanding environmental education program or event which educates the general public. Katie Knight, a senior at Sheldon High School, researched paper and plastic bags and was astonished that neither was better for the environment. She explored other options and found a non-woven polypropylene bag that could be recycled. She purchased the “Going Green” bags and set up a booth at her hometown’s Celebration Days to market the bags. She developed a brochure with this information and other environmentally friendly tips to be passed out. She also approached grocery stores in the county and they are currently being sold in four locations. Proceeds from the project will go to the Trails System in Sheldon and to the Prairie Heritage Center in Peterson.

Ada Hayden Conservation Education Award: Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation’s Landowner’s Options
Booklet. This award commends outstanding efforts to educate about preservation, land management, or natural
resource conservation. In April 2007, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation published the 6th edition of
Landowner’s Options: Safeguarding Iowa’s Natural Resources for the Future. This 52 page booklet is targeted
to landowners, their families, and their professional advisors. Its goal is to help landowners understand, and
hopefully implement, permanent land protection options.

Frederic Leopold Environmental Education Award: Cargill Corn Milling Facility in Cedar Rapids and Cargill, Inc.
This award commends outstanding efforts by business, industry, or labor. Employees of Cargill Corn Milling
facility in Cedar Rapids promote a small awards program annually. The program promotes water quality
improvement to junior and senior high school student scientists taking part in the Eastern Iowa Science Fair.
Cargill employees serve as judges and view projects with a water focus. The top three students receive a small
monetary award through a grant program the company has called “Water Matters.” Water Matters also provides
funding for select community service projects and programs and gives Cargill employees, retirees and their
family’s opportunities to become stakeholders in water education, quality and management in their communities.

Outstanding County Conservation Board EE Program (< 35,000): Floyd County Conservation. This award commends excellence in a county conservation board’s environmental education program of counties with a population of less than 35,000. Floyd CCB has a goal that every elementary class in Floyd County receives a Naturalist led program or field trip at least once during the school year. Over the last eight years, programming in the elementary schools has or nearly reached 100% of the students in the county. The Fossil and Prairie Park Preserve has drawn people worldwide for the chance to collect Devonian aged fossils and view rolling hillsides of native prairie.

Outstanding County Conservation Board EE Program (> 35,000): Clinton County Conservation Board. This award commends excellence in a county conservation board’s environmental education program of counties with a population of more than 35,000. Clinton County had one of the first EE programs in the state and has provided quality EE programs for the last 30 years. Operating three nature centers, Clinton County interpreters have presented programs to over 50,000 people. Clinton CCB offers numerous environmental education opportunities for the citizens of Clinton County.

2007 Award Winning Applications

Chris Holt Youth Environmental Education Award: Mahaska County Youth Outdoor Field Day.

Ada Hayden Conservation Education Award: Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation’s Landowner’s Options
Booklet

Outstanding County Conservation Board EE Program (> 35,000): Clinton County Conservation Board.