Environmental Law Institute - National Wetlands Awards

After a rainy night in 1976, Ken Brunswick awoke one April morning and saw hundreds of acres of his dairy farm flooded. He later discovered that his inundated farmland once belonged to the great Limberlost Swamp he had read about in his youth. The flooding of his property stirred his interest in the former swamp, and later he restored two wetlands on his farm. Mr. Brunswick’s affection for swamps continued, and in 1990 he began working for Jay County and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contacting landowners about wetland restoration programs. He loved working with landowners on natural resource issues and soon sold his dairy herd to begin a new career. He enrolled in Ball State University’s natural resources program in 1993. While a student, Mr. Brunswick worked for Whitley County Soil and Water Conservation District and as the coordinator of Friends of the Limberlost. As if he didn’t already have enough to do, he worked with ACRES Land Trust and Limberlost State Historic Site to develop a plan to restore part of the drained 13,000-acre Limberlost Swamp. Through his volunteer efforts, the Limberlost Swamp Remembered project was born. Thanks to Mr. Brunswick’s ability to convince landowners to place their lands into the Wetland Reserve Program, the 428-acre Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve was dedicated in 1997.

Today Ken is the wetland coordinator for Limberlost State Historic Site, overseeing its restoration. His wetland expertise and his outreach programs have been invaluable, and he is an important bridge between the agricultural community and local citizens. His combination of gentle persuasion and knowledge of Limberlost Swamp make him an excellent spokesperson for wetland restoration.

— Sherry Studebaker, Friends of the Limberlost, Incorporated, Geneva, Indiana