Karl Zimmermann, Operations Manager of Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site (NHS), was awarded the Trish Patterson Student Conservation Association Award for Natural Resource Management in a Small Park during a public ceremony, which took place at the Department of the Interior Stewart Lee Udall Main Interior Building, Washington, DC.

Zimmermann was recognized for his achievements in developing a natural resources management program at Sand Creek Massacre NHS.  The park was authorized in 2000, but not opened to the public until 2007. During those seven years, Zimmermann provided invaluable assistance in transforming 2,500 acres of private ranchland, which had been grazed and cultivated for years, into a premier example of mixed-grass prairie on the southern plains.

Zimmermann worked with park partners, neighbors, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes to restore and conserve park lands. He coordinated revegetation projects, implemented exotic plant control measures, and researched/implemented best practices for stewardship of the land. Karl regularly used innovation, research and creativity to tackle delicate resource issues and solve problems. For his dedication to protecting and restoring natural resources, Zimmermann was granted the distinguished Director of the National Park Service’s Trish Patterson Student Conservation Association Award for Natural Resource Management in a Small Park.