STORY COUNTY CONSERVATION STAFF RECEIVE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AWARDS

Story County Conservation’s environmental education staff recently received two notable awards in recognition of outstanding service in the environmental education field.

SCC environmental education staff was awarded the 2011 Outstanding Environmental Education Program award for excellence in environmental education programming (with three or more full-time naturalists).

SCC hired its first full-time naturalist in 1982. Since then, the environmental education program has grown to four full-time staff and two summer naturalists. Last year, SCC conducted 1,140 programs in all seven school districts in Story County and public programs including O.W.L.S., Wild Tots, Halloween Hike, Pooches in the Park, wildflower hikes, and summer nature camps.

“For many years, Story County has been known for its exceptional environmental education program,” SCC Director Michael Cox said. “We are blessed to have an outstanding group of educators who have a passion for people and our natural resources. Our educators are the best in the field, and we’re very proud of them!”

SCC environmental education staff includes Environmental Education Coordinator Jerry Keys and naturalists Linda Zaletel, Amy Yoakum, and Heather Hucka.

Zaletel was also awarded the 2011 Aldo Leopold Environmental Education Award for lifetime achievement in environmental education excellence and leadership.

“Since 1979, Linda has been an outstanding example to naturalists and other conservation educators across the state for her innovation, creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication in the conservation field,” Keys said.

Zaletel has presented numerous local, state, regional and national workshops and served on several workshop planning committees. She was the editor of the Iowa Women in Natural Resources newsletter in 1989, editor of the Iowa Conservation Education Council (ICEC) newsletter for four years, and co-editor of the Iowa Ornithologists Union (IOU) newsletter for 16 years. In addition, Zaletel served as the Iowa Association of Naturalists (IAN) representative on the Resource Enhancement and Protection/Conservation Education Program (REAP/CEP) Board for over 10 years. She most recently created KinderNature– a website offering environmental education activities for early childhood education groups.

Zaletel will retire in May 2012 after 32 years of service.

The awards are sponsored by the IAN and the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition and will be presented in March at the Iowa Association of Naturalists spring workshop.

For more information, contact Story County Conservation at 515-232-2516 (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday), or email us atconservation@storycounty.com.