Fish & Wildlife employee receives Hoosier Wildlife Award

Indianapolis, In. — The Indiana Chapter of The Wildlife Society recently honored Scott Johnson, wildlife science program manager for the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife, with the Hoosier Wildlife Award.

The Hoosier Wildlife Award recognizes an individual who has made, or is making, a significant contribution to professional wildlife conservation in Indiana through research, management, law enforcement, education, or administration.

“It is quite an accomplishment to be recognized by peers with the Hoosier Wildlife Award,” said Mitch Marcus, the division’s wildlife section chief. “Scott is certainly deserving of the award and joins a short list of past DNR recipients.”

Johnson’s contributions to wildlife conservation in Indiana include species restoration, population monitoring and management, and most recently, administration. He serves as Indiana’s state endangered species coordinator. Johnson has led efforts for the River Otter Restoration Program, studied Allegheny woodrat populations, and managed efforts on winter bat counts and management/protection of bats’ hibernation habitat.

He also designed and implemented many studies to inform bat management efforts and served as the state expert on white-nose syndrome monitoring.