JDCF is thrilled to announce that our own Steve Barg, JDCF Executive Director, is the 2026 recipient of the George and Barbara Fell Award presented by the Natural Land Institute (NLI). The award will be presented at the NLI Annual Dinner on March 19 in Rockford, IL.

For 40 years, Steve has dedicated his career to conserving natural and cultural resources in the northern Illinois region. For the past 13 years, he has served as executive director of the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF). He has grown the organization to be one of the most productive and innovative nonprofit land conservancies in the Midwest, preserving over 4,000 acres of natural areas and Native American cultural sites in Jo Daviess County and the surrounding area. Under Steve’s leadership, JDCF opened over 1,300 acres of natural areas for public use including community favorites Horseshoe Mound Preserve and Big Sky Nature Reserve, as well as facilitated the opening of Galena Gateway Park and the building of ten miles of new trails at the Witkowsky State Wildlife Area. After three years in planning, in 2020 JDCF opened the first Conservation Burial Ground (Casper Creek Natural Cemetery) in the Midwest.

Prior to coming to JDCF, Steve served for 12 years as the executive director of the Liberty Prairie Conservancy in Lake County, IL. His land trust work started at Lake Forest Open Lands Association where he served as the environmental education director for 4 years. He began his career as a teaching naturalist and later served as director of the Heller Nature Center in Highland Park, IL. Steve graduated from Aurora University in 1986 with a BS in Recreational Services and a minor in Environmental Science.

Congratulations Steve on well-deserved recognition of your lifelong commitment to people and to nature.