Local couple nominated for conservation award

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Lloyd and Gaylan Crim’s dedication to protecting Iowa’s land, water and wildlife over the past 30 years has garnered the couple a nomination for the statewide Lawrence and Eula Hagie Heritage Award.

The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) presents the Hagie award annually to a person or couple who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to protect Iowa’s resources, while encouraging others to do the same. 

Before settling on their acreage in rural Boone, the Crims began a long history of environmental protection while students at Iowa State University.  The two earned masters degrees there, researching wild turkeys in the state.  As a part of that research, Gaylan authored the publication Wild Turkeys in Iowa’s Private Woodlands. 

“Lloyd and Gaylan Crim’s pioneering research on turkeys helped lead to a successful reintroduction of the wild turkey throughout Iowa,” said nominator Erwin Klaas, professor emeritus of animal ecology at Iowa State University.

Since that time, the couple has been involved in a diverse array of projects.  Lloyd has led popular summer prairie walks through Doolittle Prairie in Story County for the past 15 years. Upcoming Doolittle walks will be held on June 23, July 28 and August 25 at 7 p.m. and are open to the public.

Meanwhile, Gaylan has managed the Mabaska ponds site of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project for the past 10 years. During this time she has stopped nearly every day to feed and check on a pair of nesting swans and their offspring located there. She has also works with the Iowa State University Trumpeter Swan Restoration Committee, striving to encourage student interest in conservation.

“Lloyd and Gaylan have made long-term commitments to projects which give others a better understanding and appreciation of Iowa’s natural heritage,” said nominators Jon and Joyce Bahrenfus.

That commitment is exemplified in countless hours the couple has spent collecting data on Iowa’s natural resources.  This includes monitoring four sites for the DNR’s IOWATER program, where they agreed to test new techniques for measuring bacteria levels. The Crims also collect data for the Squaw Creek Watershed Coalition, have participated in the DNR’s Frog and Toad Survey Program, performed surveys and inventories of invasive plant species, placed identification bands on swans, and similar projects.

“We were just in the right place at the right time to have these conservation opportunities,” said Gaylan.

The Crims are also involved with the Iowa Native Plant Society, the Iowa Prairie Network, the Nature Conservancy, the Squaw Creek Watershed Coalition and the National Audubon Society’s Big Bluestem Chapter, often holding leadership positions. As a student at Iowa State, Lloyd helped maintain the Ames High Prairie, and the couple has since participated in controlled burns, harvested quality native prairie seeds, and cleared brush from numerous Iowa prairies.

At the Crims’ acreage in rural Boone, the couple continues their commitment to wildlife habitat conservation. They have maintained kestrel boxes and numerous bird feeders on the property, in addition to reconstructing prairie and other habitat.

“We have animals and birds all around the house—it’s the way we live,” said Lloyd.

The Hagie Heritage Award was created in honor of Lawrence and Eula Hagie by their daughters, Jan and Ila Jeanne, to memorialize their parents’ commitment to environmental protection.  The Hagie Award is now one of the largest conservation awards in Iowa. 

The Crims are one of three Hagie award nominees from across the state.  The winner will be announced at the end of the summer and awarded with $1,000 and a hand-carved acorn sculpture.

“Lloyd and Gaylan Crim’s diverse and sustained efforts to protect Iowa’s natural lands, coupled with their enthusiasm to educate and involve others in the process, exemplify the spirit of the Hagie Award,” said INHF President Mark Ackelson.

INHF is a nonprofit, member-supported organization that has protected and restored over 80,000 acres of Iowa’s wild places.  INHF projects in the area include the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail and an eight-acre addition to the Doolittle Prairie.