WWF online mag Tom Meyer award

WWF Thanks Tom Meyer

 

Thomas Meyer has been leading some of the best excursions enjoyed by Wisconsin Wildlife Federation members who participate in the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin Field Trips program each year.

So, they enthusiastically applauded news that this 37-year veteran of the DNR’s State Natural Areas program was being honored nationally.

The Natural Areas Association bestowed the national George B. Fell Lifetime Achievement Award for his career-long efforts to build and advocate for Wisconsin’s State Natural Areas (SNA) program.

Tom Meyer prefers teaching from his kayak rather than sitting in awards ceremonies.
From above the Wisconsin River, Meyer explains how the waterway once flowed in the opposite direction as Coni LaBarbera views a poster of early settlers on the river.

This award is given to an individual who exhibits the highest qualities of the profession and who has significantly advanced natural area identification, protection, stewardship or research and the mission of the Natural Areas Association. 

Visitors discover hidden treasures that many Dells tourists will never see, let alone learn about these natural wonders.

This award is the association’s highest and is reserved for exceptional achievements in any of the areas in which the Natural Areas Association is concerned. With 37 years dedicated to protecting and enhancing Wisconsin’s natural heritage, Thomas Meyer is an exemplary recipient of this prestigious recognition.

“Although I’m proud of the natural areas I’ve helped protect, my greatest professional joy and satisfaction has been sharing the wonder of these places with others,” said Meyer. “Though we may stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, I think we do so for those who come after us.”

Tom Meyer greets field trip participants at the boat landing, shares history of the natural areas they will visit, and then leads them on the water.

Meyer has been praised by colleagues as the unsung heart of the State Natural Areas program throughout his long career, quietly leading many of the critical components of the program. He has been instrumental in developing the Wisconsin State Natural Areas program into what it is today. 

In his efforts to advocate for state natural areas, Meyer also served as subject expert for PBS Wisconsin’s 2021 documentary, Wisconsin’s Scenic Treasures: Southern Vistas, featuring a visually stunning trip through 12 state natural areas.

Tucked into a sandy cove at the SNA, Meyer teaches from his kayak and his adult students listen intently from their canoes and kayaks.

Wisconsin’s State Natural Areas program celebrates 71 years in 2022, making it the nation’s oldest (and largest) statewide system of natural areas. Learn more about Wisconsin’s state natural areas and how you can join Meyer and others in ensuring they’re around for generations to come.