Buchanan County’s Conservation Director has been honored with a statewide award.
The Iowa Association of Naturalists and the Iowa Conservation Education Coalition have awarded Dan Cohen with the IAN/ICEC Aldo Leopold Environmental Education Award for lifetime achievement in environmental education excellence and leadership.
The awards are presented annually to recognize incredible contributions to the advancement of environmental literacy in Iowa.
Cohen has spent the last 38 years with Buchanan County Conservation Board – the first 15 as the Naturalist and the last 23 as its Director. As a Naturalist, he built the BCCB environmental education program from the ground up.
Key accomplishments during his tenure as Naturalist include:
- Opening of the Fontana Interpretive Nature Center in 1994, with displays and plans to ensure continued quality.
- Impacting youth from schools serving Buchanan residents and adults wishing to be life-long learners who stay active outdoors.
- Establishing youth outdoor adventures, where kids progress from day camps to overnight outings, to week-long trips to federally designated wilderness areas.
- Expansion of trails and interpretive kiosks, to facilitate education in many locations.
- Establishment of the Otter Creek Quarterly – a publication sharing EE passively while promoting active interpretation opportunities.
Key accomplishments during his tenure as Director include:
- Acquisition of 18 additional natural places where people hike, hunt, fish, watch wildlife, access rivers, while learning about and gaining appreciation for nature.
- Adding a second naturalist in 2007 to help meet ever-growing public demand.
- Worked on the Governor’s Committee on Sustainable Funding of Natural Resources to develop the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund to amend the constitution of Iowa.
- Works with Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy to educate legislators and urge them to fund the Trust.
Congratulations Dan!
photos courtesy of Buchanan County Conservation
