We had a terrific turnout on March 21st for our 2015 Conservation Conference & Annual Meeting. We were fortunate to have a number of guest speakers present on important conservation issues in Indiana. Travis Stoelting, property manager at Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area, described the success of restoration work at Goose Pond and reminded us of the many year-round activities available to Hoosiers who visit the property from kayaking to hunting to
photography and more. Suzie Ronk, co-founder of Miner Monarchs and 6th grade student at Linton Stockton Middle School, impressed the audience with her in-depth presentation on monarch butterflies and fundraising activities to support new butterfly habitats. Travis Buckel, Wildlife Biologist with APHIS, spoke about multi-agency efforts to control feral pig populations in southern Indiana.
It was also our privilege to present the 2015 conservation awards to individuals and organizations who worked tirelessly on behalf of Indiana’s natural resources. This year’s recipients were:
Paul Bunner Conservationist of the Year
David Craig
Conservation Organization of the Year
Clay Township Regional Waste District
Conservation Education Award
Purdue University – West Lafayette
Wildlife Conservationists of the Year
Suzie Ronk and Emma Brinson
Conservation Affiliate of the Year
Indiana Catfish Conservation Association
President’s Award
Jon Laramore
Brent Taylor
Stephanie Boxell
Sarah Sharp
Faegre Baker Daniels LLP
To learn more about these awards, please visit: http://www.indianawildlife.org/about/conservation-awards/.
Thank you to the IWF board, members, and guests for joining us to support common sense conservation in Indiana, and congratulations to the award winners. If you were unable to attend the Spring Conservation Conference, we hope you will be able to join us for the fall conference in September (date TBD).