Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame seeks nominations for 2026 class

The Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame Award is a top conservation honor that recognizes lifetime achievements in protecting and preserving the state’s natural resources. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is seeking nominations to honor a new class of inductees for a 2026 award ceremony that will take place during the Ohio State Fair.

Nominees must have been born in Ohio or made a significant contribution to conservation in the state, such as protecting and preserving Ohio’s water, soil, woodlands, wildlife and/or mineral resources. Nominations are being accepted by mail and online at forms.office.com/g/6qYy9fPStT. The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, April 24.

The induction ceremony for the 2026 Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame will take place during the Ohio State Fair at Natural Resources Park.

“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,” ODNR Director Mary Mertz said. “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.”

Established in 1966, the Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame is the state’s top honor recognizing an individual’s work in outdoor conservation. There are 200 inductees. Previous recipients include John Chapman, known as 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 more than 30 years for ODNR; and Harvey Webster, a conservationist who helped revitalize Ohio’s bald eagle population. Visit ohiodnr.gov to learn more about last year’s Hall of Fame recipients.

For more information about selection criteria and to request a mailed nomination form, email Jona Ison-Ahmed at jona.ison-ahmed@dnr.ohio.gov.

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.