Al Stewart never thought his years of doing the work he loved in conservation would earn him a prestigious award. To his surprise, Stewart won the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Wayne Bailey National Lifetime Achievement Award late last month.
Stewart, who serves as the director of Hillsdale College’s Nimrod Educational Center, received the award during the NWTF’s 48th annual convention in Nashville. The award recognizes wildlife biologists, trappers and managers who devote their careers to the wild turkey’s restoration and management. Stewart has been a part of that work for decades, having been involved with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ statewide conservation efforts for five decades.
Stewart said he was honored to receive the award, which is named after the esteemed wild turkey biologist R. Wayne Bailey. Bailey was the first recipient of the NWTF’s Conservationist of the Year Award in 1978.
“My initial thought was, ‘wow,’ you know — Wayne Bailey is an icon in the wildlife world, and to even be considered in the same sentence as him is a huge honor,” Stewart said. “I just did what I thought was important to do at the time. It’s a surprise to see that others saw this as something significant.”
Stewart said he has had a passion for nature and conservation since he was a child, and his interest has only grown with time.
“I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in nature or the outdoors. It’s just continued on and expanded,” Stewart said.“What really got me interested in being a wildlife biologist, or initially, a wildlife veterinarian, was a 1960s National Geographic TV show about the outdoors.”
Stewart said his love for wildlife fueled his life’s work at the Michigan DNR. Stewart said he joined the department in the 1970s and recently retired after a fruitful tenure.
“I was hired by the Michigan DNR’s wildlife pathology lab to help them collect samples and take care of animals that they had as part of their research projects. That started in the early seventies,” Stewart said. “It was a long career, and I loved every minute of it.”
After retiring from the DNR, Stewart became the director of the Nimrod Center, which exists to educate the public on consumptive and shooting sports’ benefits to wildlife preservation.
“Even while helping to restore wildlife or work with hunters in doing conservation work as a wildlife biologist, you’re still trying to inform the public about the essential contributions of hunters, anglers and shooters to conservation,” Stewart said.“That’s the mission of this job.”
Stewart said wildlife groups’ contributions are essential for the preservation of wildlife and natural resources.
“They are the individuals that pay for fish and wildlife conservation in this country. It is the best resource management model in the world,” Stewart said. “They’re the ones that have brought back animals from species of scarcity, like many were in the 1900s, to animals of abundance today. Turkeys are a prime example of one of these animals that have been restored by hunters.”
Morgan Morrison ’21, associate director of business and industry at Hillsdale who oversees many aspects of the Nimrod Fellows program, joined Stewart at the award ceremony.
“It was humbling to meet people who worked with Al over the years and know that we, as college staff, now have the opportunity to work alongside him here at Hillsdale,” Morrison said. “Everywhere I went at the convention, someone spoke fondly of Al. He is kind, wise, and has a special knack for knowing exactly what gift or word of encouragement someone needs at any given time.”
Chief Administrative Officer Rich Péwé said he admires Stewart both personally and professionally.
“I have always thought the world of Al. His warmth and enthusiasm are contagious. I have learned a great deal from him too. He has to be the most knowledgeable person in the world living today about every type of waterfowl. His knowledge about conservation is vast,” Péwé said. “Everyone in these circles knows about Al and respects him.”
Péwé said Stewart’s work in conservation has been a welcome contribution to the college’s goals overall.
“This award is a big deal and honor,” Péwé said. “I am so proud that Al works for Hillsdale, especially for what he has done and continues to do to promote consumptive sports and conservation.”
