State News

Pheasants Forever Names First-Ever Minnesota Conservation Educator of the Year

Saint Paul, Minn. - January 15, 2007 - Bob Peterson, president and founding member of Minnesota's Wright County Chapter of Pheasants Forever (PF) has been named the first ever PF Minnesota State Conservation Educator of the Year. Peterson was honored for his work with the Leopold Education Project (LEP). The award was presented this past weekend at the 2007 Minnesota PF State Convention in Breezy Point.

This was the first year Minnesota PF presented the state conservation educator of the year award. Any state council member may nominate an individual who exemplified tremendous teaching ability and overall dedication to Minnesota's youth conservation education. Peterson was nominated by Walt Barlow, the Wright County Chapter's treasurer.

Peterson is an insurance agent for RE/MAX. He helped found the Wright County Chapter of PF with three others in 1985. He and his wife Jean make their home in Annandale, Minnesota.

Peterson and the Wright County Chapter have produced remarkable accomplishments for youth education in the past six years. Since 2001, Wright County has held 286 conservation education classes, totaling 7,515 students, with Peterson being the primary educator in those sessions. Peterson's teaching extends well beyond Wright County, as he has taught the same course at the Hasty Silver Creek Conservation Day for the past three years, educating another 45 to 50 kids each year.

"Bob Peterson has a passion for habitat protection and recognizes the importance of conservation education for youth. Bob's ready smile, infectious enthusiasm and sense of fun make him a natural for working with kids," reported Sil Pembleton, Minnesota State coordinator for PF's LEP. "Bob influences teachers as well as students. He and his Wright County chapter have always supported LEP educator workshops."

"Knowing the kind of warm-hearted and easy-going attitude Bob has, he will credit everyone but himself for this award," commented Barlow. "Bob has done so much for our chapter, but even more for the youth. Because of Bob's work, any kid who goes to one of the classes and wants to sign up for Pheasants Forever's Ringnecks youth program, Wright County Chapter will pay for their first year of membership."

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