Newsletter

Notes from Au Sable

Recognizing Leadership

Sarah Bowdish, a junior pursuing a bachelor of science degree in biology and environmental science at Northwestern College, Orange City, IA, is the first recipient of Au Sable Institute's Leadership Fellowship.

In nominating Sarah for the fellowship, Dr. Fred Van Dyke, biology professor at Northwestern and Au Sable, said she is known for her "kind, gracious and generous spirit." She is a member of Terra Nova, a student environmental organization, and helped develop a recycling program at Northwestern, where she also was student manager of athletic events and a tutor of botany and writing students.

As a research assistant for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 1998, Sarah has studied the effects of prescribed burning and mowing on plant and bird communities in tall-grass prairies. She and Van Dyke presented papers on this subject at meetings of the Colleges of Mid America in 1998 and the Society of Range Management early this year. She was designated an Au Sable Fellow in 1998.

The Leadership Fellowship originated from generous personal contributions made by members of the Au Sable Board of Trustees to a special endowment fund. It covers tuition and fees for summer sessions at Au Sable and compensates the fellow for summer earnings that otherwise might not have been possible. Nominees must show high potential for leadership in Christian environmental stewardship.

Dr. Orin Gelderloos, chairman of the Au Sable Board of Trustees, was a member of the Leadership Fellowship selection committee. He said Sarah is an example of how Au Sable Institute can "have a significant impact" by educating "persons who will be willing to accept the responsibilities of leaders in our society."

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