ODNR Seeking Nominations for Top State Conservation Honors: 2026 Hall of Fame

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame Award is a top conservation honor which recognizes lifetime achievements when it comes to the protection and preservation of the state’s natural resources. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is seeking nominations to honor a new class of inductees for the 2026 award ceremony, which will take place at the Ohio State Fair.
 
Nominees must have been born in Ohio or made a significant contribution to the conservation of natural resources in the state, such as protecting and preserving the state’s water, soil, woodlands, wildlife, and/or mineral resources. Nominations are being accepted by mail and online at https://forms.office.com/g/6qYy9fPStT. The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, April 24.

“ODNR is proud to honor those individuals who have dedicated so much time and effort to conservation work in the state and make the great outdoors better for all,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “The Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame is a way to thank those individuals who embody the mission of conservation and continue to inspire future generations.”
 
The Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame, which was established in 1966, is the state’s top honor to recognize an individual’s work in outdoor conservation. The total number of inductees is 200 people. Previous recipients include John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed); explorer John Wesley Powell; conservationist and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Louis Bromfield; pioneering botanist Lucy Braun; and farming conservation advocate Bob Evans.
 
The 2025 Hall of Fame inductees included Jean Beaty, a 24-year member of the Ohio Wildlife Council; William Stuart “Stu” Lewis, Sr., the first Scenic Rivers employee of the ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves who worked for more than 30 years for ODNR; and Harvey Webster,  a premier conservationist who helped revitalize the bald eagle population in Ohio. Visit ohiodnr.gov to learn more about last year’s Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame recipients.
 
For more information about the selection criteria and to request a mailed nomination form, email Jona Ison-Ahmed.
 
Nominations submitted by mail should be sent to ODNR Special Projects, 2045 Morse Road, Building D-3, Columbus, OH 43229, Attn: Jona Ison-Ahmed, Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame inductees, along with Cardinal Award winners, will be announced during a ceremony at the Ohio State Fair. Cardinal Award winners are nominated by ODNR employees for their commitment to the department’s mission.