Most Dedicated Conservationists To Be Honored By ODNR

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

(COLUMBUS) – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame. Nominees should have demonstrated a commitment to conservation and improving the quality of life in Ohio.

“Ohio is fortunate to have so many people who are passionate about protecting our state’s precious natural resources,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “We want to honor these individuals for their commitment to our natural world and lift them up as role models who can inspire and teach future generations of Ohio conservationists.”

For more than 50 years, the Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame has been the state’s top honor for people who have spent a lifetime dedicated to Ohio natural resources management, environmental education, or scientific achievement. Last year’s recipients included a scenic rivers advocate who made significant contributions to the health and protection of our waterways, along with a husband and wife who, individually and together, made conservation a lifetime goal. You can read more about their work here.

To be considered for induction, nominees must have been born in Ohio or made a significant contribution to Ohio natural resources conservation.

For more information on selection criteria and to request a nomination form, please email Stephanie O’Grady at stephanie.o’grady@dnr.ohio.gov. Online and mail-in nominations must be received by Monday, June 14, 2021. Nominations submitted by mail should be sent to ODNR Communications, 2045 Morse Road, Building D-3, Columbus, OH 43229, Attn: Hall of Fame. Inductees will be announced later this summer.

Created in 1966, the Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame has proudly honored more than 170 Ohioans to date, including John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed); explorer John Wesley Powell; conservationist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author novelist Louis Bromfield; pioneering botanist Lucy Braun; and farming conservation advocate, Bob Evans.