Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame Celebrates 31st Anniversary
Koshoshek, Ladd and Roark are 2015 Inductees Ceremonies Set for May 2, 2015, in Stevens Point
(Left to Right - Dave Ladd, Eugene Roark, Ronald Koshoshek)
The Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame (WCHF) celebrates its 31st Induction Ceremony on May 2nd by honoring two citizen advocates and a Wisconsin manufacturer of timber products. All have left indelible marks on Wisconsin's environment. The public is invited to attend to the ceremony which includes tributes by invited speakers and the presentation of recognition plaques.
The trio will join 83 other inductees to the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame in ceremonies at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 2nd, at the Sentry Theater in Stevens Point. The public is invited.
David A Ladd was born and raised on a farm near Dodgeville, Wisconsin where his father instilled the idea of respect and responsibility for the conservation of land and wildlife. To teach this same respect and responsibility for the conservation of land and wildlife, Dave taught Hunter Safety classes through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) for 20 years and over 1,000 students. In 1972, Dave founded Walnut Hollow, Inc. a woodcraft manufacturing company based in Dodgeville. Walnut Hollow uses 3-1/2 million board feet of pine and basswood lumber per year.
Such a volume of timber takes many trees and Dave insisted that the company could be environmentally friendly while using such a high amount of lumber. "You can do both," Dave said "if the trees are harvested in the right way."
Ronald Koshoshek was born in Eau Claire, where he spent many hours learning to fish the area's streams and creeks. He received his Masters from Fordham University in New York in 1962 and his PhD in 1966. In 1969, he secured a position at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire teaching Philosophy, Ethics and Jurisprudence where he continued teaching until he retired as Professor Emeritus in 1999. Motivated first by the evidence of environmental degradation encountered in the streams and rivers that he fished, the professor began to develop what was to become a parallel career in conservation. As a citizen advocate and as a public servant, his energy was devoted assisting groups of concerned citizens, advising them on the relevant laws and science, and assisting them to bring the force of law to the problem. Or more frequently, to find satisfactory compromise outside of legal action.
Eugene Roark was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in a new program of conservation journalism. In 1960 Gene started to work in information and tourism for the then Wisconsin Conservation Department. He was director of tourism for the WDNR from 1970 to 1975. Aldo Leopold's philosophy of the land ethic has had a profound influence on Gene's ideas on the environment. Leopold's book The Sand County Almanac is an inspiration for Gene. He knows people. He has led by example. Gene has demonstrated a dedication to the land and its resources by advancing the Conservation Ideal in his personal life and public service. He has played a critical role in connecting various conservation interests from hunting and forestry to natural areas and parks. Wisconsin's natural landscape would look vastly different without Gene's conservation leadership.
Tributes to the inductees will be given at 10 a.m., at the Theater@1800, located at the Sentry Insurance Headquarters, 1800 North Point Drive. A coffee will precede the program at 9 a.m. The luncheon at noon at the High Court restaurant in the Sentry
World Sports building concludes the day’s activities. Luncheon reservations are $25 and can be made by calling the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitors Center at 715-346-4992. The Visitors Center displays the WCHF’s gallery of inductee recognition plaques.
WCHF President Joe Passineau stated “This year is unique. For the first time in 30 years, we are looking forward to having all three of the inductees at the recognition ceremony on May 2nd. The public is invited to attend and enjoy the tributes and presentations by colleagues and friends. Come and meet our new inductees and learn more about the ever-changing and fascinating story of Conservation in Wisconsin."
To learn more about the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame and its many inductees, go to wchf.org