Pictured are (l-r) Chief Glen Cobb, Assistant Chief Jon Dobney, Southwest District Manager Melissa Clark, Linda Allen, Rocky Fork Park Manager Cory Cover and Governor Mike DeWine.
Photo courtesy of Ohio Department of Natural Resources
On July 31, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) celebrated and honored Ohioans for their lifetime achievements in conservation and protection of Ohio’s natural resources with a ceremony to recognize Cardinal Award winners and the Hall of Fame inductees.
Governor Mike DeWine and ODNR Director Mary Mertz honored seven outstanding individuals who were inducted into the Ohio Natural Resources Hall of Fame. In addition to the Hall of Fame inductees, ODNR also presented the Cardinal Award to six Ohioans. The Cardinal Award honors individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional awareness and concern for ideals reflected in the department’s mission statement: To ensure balance between the wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit for all.
Linda Allen, the SATH Executive Director, was a recipient of the Cardinal Award.
Linda is the esteemed director of KAMP Dovetail located at Rocky Fork State Park. She has dedicated 36 years of her life to this volunteer-run summer camp bringing together people with and without disabilities to create a harmonious and supportive environment. Each year, KAMP Dovetail hosts 250 campers guiding them through activities such as swimming, boating, crafts, fishing, horseback riding and so much more. Linda’s impact goes beyond these activities, as she has also overseen major infrastructure improvements such as transforming an old hog barn into a functional kitchen. establishing an ADA-compliant shower house, a laundry facility and a nurse’s station, an activity storage barn and a horse barn.
Congratulations Linda on receiving the 2024 ODNR Cardinal Award.
