Hocking College School of Natural Resources was honored to receive the Heart of Hocking award during the 49th Annual Winter Hike on Saturday, January 18, 2014.

The Heart of Hocking Award is given each year to an individual or organization that expresses their passion for the Hocking Hills State Park by dedicating numerous volunteer hours to improve and maintain the area. After decades of involvement with Hocking Hills State Park, Hocking College was recently honored with this award.

"Many of the special events or projects that have been conducted here at Hocking Hills could not have been completed without their assistance and the support of the Hocking College staff and administration," the award submission noted.

The college has worked on projects from repairing steps and bridges to completing nest surveys and wildlife mapping.  Major events held at the park, such as the Maple Sugaring Festival and the Frontier Hike, were also made possible through the direct help of Hocking College students.

Kenneth Bowald, Dean of the School of Natural Resources and Kenneth Temple, Natural Resources Law Enforcement, accepted the award on behalf of the school at Cedar Falls, the halfway point of the six mile hike from Old Man's Cave to Ash Cave.

Bowald, with great appreciation for this honor, said "Hocking College is fortunate to have one of Ohio's premiere state parks right in our backyard.  Not only does it provide great opportunities for our Natural Resources students, but many of the staff are Hocking College graduates.  We share not only a name, but a tradition of conservation, education, and recreation. This award is a great honor!"