The Oskaloosa Herald ran this front page, top of fold. I thought you might like to see it. Carrie Ann Morgan at INHF did a good job. If you'd like to comment on the article, go to: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=2153745&BRD=1623&PAG=461&dept_id=1 80614&rfi=6 Although the article doesn't mention this, Iowa Sierra Club acknowledged their efforts with and award in 1997. McAdams, Buenger earn award William Penn professors are named co-winners of Hagie Heritage Award Pat McAdams and Glenda Buenger of Rose Hill, both of whom teach at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, have been selected as co-winners of this year's Hagie Heritage Award, one of the largest conservation awards in Iowa. The award is presented each year by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and recognizes Iowans who have demonstrated an outstanding volunteer commitment to conservation and improvement of the natural environment. McAdams and Buenger are being recognized for their activism in saving the Eddyville Dunes and their years of conservation dedication and volunteerism. As Hagie Award co-winners, the couple will receive a hand-carved acorn sculpture donated by Dennis and Linda Schlict of Center Point and $1,000. "Pat and Glenda are excellent choices for the Hagie Award," said Mark Ackelson, INHF president. "Their work is a constant reminder of how two individuals have an enormous impact on the land. They have given endless hours protecting and restoring Iowa's ecosystems." What started as a family tradition with their two children, Ben, 13, and Neo, 15, turned into environmental activism. Ben invented the term "prairie-scoping" to refer to family field trips investigating contents of road ditches and prairie patches. "We just grabbed the Peterson Guide and if we saw a white flower we didn't know, we looked up pictures of white flowers until we found it," Buenger said. Years later in 1996, armed with prairie-scoping experience and botany knowledge, they stumbled across a wet prairie remnant that contained state-listed species including the threatened ornate box turtle and the endangered pale-green orchid. This hidden ecosystem was discovered in the Eddyville Dunes, an area formed thousands of years ago by wind-deposited sand. Intrigued, the couple inquired about the area and discovered the Iowa Department of Transportation planned to build a highway bypass through the prairie. Thinking the unique area should be protected, McAdams and Buenger worked long hours to gain grassroots support and the backing of several government agencies. They were able to persuade the IDOT to relocate the bypass to avoid the best part of the habitat. "We both decided when we get old, we want to say that we did everything we could do," McAdams said. "Eddyville is ongoing; the real work is just starting." McAdams and Buenger have always been inquisitive about plants and nature. "It's hard to tell where academia stops and conservation begins," said McAdams, an assistant professor of earth science at William Penn. Buenger, who teaches art at Penn part-time, also manages a native prairie seed business and has donated large quantities of seed to county, state and federal restoration projects. She is an active member of the Iowa Prairie Network. McAdams is involved with Keokuk and Mahaska County and youth environmental education field days and assists with an Eagle Badge in geology for a local Boy Scout chapter. Both have donated countless hours to the Mahaska County Conservation Board. McAdams and Buenger were selected from a field of eight Iowans nominated for this year's award. The selection committee noted that this year's task was unusually difficult not only because of the outstanding accomplishments by each nominee, but also the difference of the nature of activities between the candidates. One committee member said, "It's exciting to see how a small band of people can influence the land in a variety of ways." Another said, "The nominees showed determination, courage and tenacity." McAdams and Buenger were nominated by Jane Clark, activist and volunteer in Des Moines; Loren Lown of Pleasant Hill, natural resource specialist with Polk County Conservation Board; and Robert Sayre of Iowa City, author of "Take the Next Exit: New Views of the Iowa Landscape." Clark said McAdams' and Buenger's efforts are inspirational. "Pat and Glenda have won the respect of both the conservation community and outside specialists, while raising the consciousness of thousands of Iowans who otherwise would never have known of this fascinating area of prairie, sand dunes and wetlands," Clark said. This is the 12th year the INHF has presented the Hagie Heritage Award. It was established by Jan Shindel of DeWitt and Ila Jeanne Logan of Moville in honor of their parents, Lawrence and Eula Hagie. INHF is a non-profit, member-supported organization that protects, preserves and enhances Iowa's natural resources for future generations. The group has protected over 65,000 acres of Iowa land since 1979. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]