University Relations and Communications, 715-346-3046, Fax 715-346-2042, www.uwsp.edu/news
February 8, 2006
Diane Lueck, outreach program manager for the International Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Program founded and located at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has recently been appointed to the Natural Resources Foundation (NRF) Wisconsin Board of Directors.
Lueck has been the director of BOW’s international program since 2000. “Diane has been involved with BOW since 1993 and her talents, energy and enthusiasm through the years has made her an excellent manager and spokesperson for the program,” said Christine Thomas, dean of the College of Natural Resources at UWSP. “It was only a matter of time before other organizations, such as NRF, took notice of Diane’s talents.”
In 1986 the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin was founded in order to support the goals and needs of the Department of Natural Resources. Today the NRF has nearly 2000 members with a mission to promote the knowledge, enjoyment and stewardship of Wisconsin’s natural resources. Key NRF program areas are endangered species protection, habitat protection and restoration, community-based conservation, and environmental education and outreach. Past NRF board members from the area have included Dan Trainer, Christine Thomas and Bob Williams.
In her role as program manager for BOW’s international programs, Lueck has overseen the development of BOW training and curriculum materials, expanded BOW opportunities throughout North America, coordinated BOW workshops with a variety of state and federal natural resource agencies, helped broaden BOW’s outreach for people with disabilities, supervised graduate students, and much more. Her first experience as a BOW instructor was in 1991 when she taught a course on mushroom identification and has taught at BOW workshops every year since.
Beginning in 1993 Lueck has had many BOW-related articles and publications published and concurrently given presentations throughout the United States and Canada. She has been directly or indirectly responsible for grants in excess of $1 million for the program.
In 2002 she received the CNR’s Outreach Award and in 1994-95 she was named the outstanding CNR graduate assistant. In 1999 she was recognized for her outstanding service to the Wisconsin BOW program. A year earlier she was recognized by British Columbia’s Wildlife Federation for her work with their provincial BOW program. She attended the Safari Club International’s American Wilderness Leadership School in 1994. The Wisconsin Association of Lakes (WAL) honored her in 1990 for ten years of service.
She also is a member of the Wisconsin’s Hunter Education Instructors Association, the International Hunter Education Association, and the Bill Cook Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America, Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, and the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education.
A native of Coloma, she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in natural resources from UWSP, and her Ph.D. in adult education from UW-Madison. She resides in Friendship with her husband, Gary.
