- Harlan Kredit
Infobox Person
name = Harlan Kredit
|200px
caption = Harlan Kredit in 2007.
birth_date = 1939
birth_place =Lynden, Washington
death_date =
death_place =
other_names =
known_for =Conservation biology
occupation = Secondary teacherPark ranger
EMT
nationality = flag|United States
religion =Christian Reformed
spouse = Linda Kredit (née VanderKooi) [http://lyncs.org/staff/bios.php?id=hkredit lyncs.org] ] [ [http://genealogytrails.com/wash/whatcom/Obits/v.html genealogytrails.com] ]Harlan Kredit (born
1939 ) [http://www.calvin.edu/alumni/board/daa_recipients.htm#hdk61 calvin.edu] , accessed24 August 2008 ] is a multiple award-winningDutch-American high school teacher from Lynden,Washington . He was the first Washingtonian teacher ever to be inducted into theNational Teachers Hall of Fame . [http://www.wfis.org/HTML/WFISeMemo2006May.html Congratulations to Mr. Harlan Kredit] ,wlfs.org, accessed24 August 2008 ] He has spent the majority of his career at Lynden Christian High School. [ [http://www.ktka.com/photos/galleries/2006/jun/10/national_teachers_hall_fame/ National Teachers Hall of Fame] , KTKA.com, accessed24 August 2008 ] Kredit is also a ranger atYellowstone Park inWyoming during the summer and a prolific photographer for theNational Parks Service .Kredit has gained renown for his "investigative" approach to teaching secondary biology and emphasis on leadership, and for his efforts in fish and wildlife conservation, particularly along
Whatcom County 's Fishtrap Creek [http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-05/tst0305_24.pdf nta.org] ] (which eventually dispenses intoPuget Sound ). His students know him for his familiar exclamation of "It's a great day to be alive!" [ [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204886920&refurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fs.php%3Fq%3Dits%2Ba%2Bgreat%2Bday%2Bto%2Bbe%2Balive%2521%26init%3Dq%26k%3D200000010%26sf%3Dt facebook.com] ] [http://nator-gator14.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html blogspot.com] ]History and work
Harlan Kredit was born and raised in
Lynden ,Washington , alongside Fishtrap Creek, [http://www.fieldandstreamextras.com/heroes/heroes.php?y=07&m=kredit fieldandstreamextras.com] ] which contained "huge numbers of salmon each fall."Kredit graduated from
Calvin College in 1961 and taught high school science education inHudsonville ,Michigan from 1962 to 1972. In 1967 he gained a master's degree in Science Teaching from theCollege of William and Mary .In the summer of 1972 he began working as a ranger naturalist and wildfire fighter for
Yellowstone National Park (a job which he still holds today), and in 1973 he moved back toWhatcom County and began teaching at Lynden Christian High School.Upon his return to Whatcom County, he discovered that Fishtrap Creek had "hardly any fish left." He began a salmon restoration project in 1976 which continues to this day, hatching over 2 million salmon since its foundation.
In 1980 he earned a degree as an
Emergency Medical Technician from Calvin. In 1986, he also began teaching environmental education to teachers at the American Wilderness Leadership School inJackson, Wyoming . He has continued his education atWestern Washington University ,Michigan State University ,Idaho State University , and theUniversity of Wyoming .Projects worked on in Kredit's classes include raising 50,000
Coho salmon at the Lynden Christian Fish Hatchery every year,treeplanting (over 18,000 as of 2007), restoration, and litter disposal around Whatcom County, raising awareness of contaminating river drainage, channeling Fishtrap Creek for the safety of salmon, and mapping Whatcom'sdrainage basin .In addition, Kredit served as Lynden Christian's athletic director [http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=31327926] and sat as a WIAA Executive Board Representative of the Northwest Interscholastic Activities Association. [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:VMKgQAPsGOMJ:www.wiaa.com/Dist1/Minutes/Minutes0208.doc] Kredit's hobbies include
beekeeping ,mountaineering , and repairingFord Model T 's andplayer piano s.http://www.lyncs.org/schools/Salmon_Project/kredit.html]Kredit is a member of the
National Science Teachers Association , the Washington State Science Teachers Association, and theNature Conservancy .Honors and awards
*"
Field & Stream " Hero of Conservation (2007) [ [http://www.fieldandstreamextras.com/heroes/heroes.php?y=07&m=kredit Hero of Conservation] , fieldandstreamextras.com]
*Lifetime Achievement Dribblie (2007) [ [http://www.tourneytown.com/hoops/2007/Class1A/03037Dribblies.shtml Lifetime Achievement Dribblie] , tourneytown.com]
*Washington's 2006 PDK/Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year (2006)http://www.teacherscount.org/celeb/browse.php?row=30&letter=K]
*SeaWorld /Busch Gardens Educator of the Year (2006)http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=51765]
*The Walt Disney Company Teacher Award (2005)http://disney.go.com/disneyhand/learning/teacherawards/bio/2005/KreditBIO.pdf]
*Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (2004)
*National Conservation Teacher of the Year (2004)
*Washington State Conservation Teacher of the Year (2004)http://www.nthf.org/inductee/06Kredit.htm]
*Washington State Science Teacher of the Year (2004)
*WFIS 2004 Best of Washington Teacher's Award (2004)
*Washington State Secondary Science Teacher of the Year (2003)
*Conservation Fund National Environmental Education Award (2002)
*Washington State Department of Ecology Environmental Excellence Award (2002)
*International Paper Environmental Education Award (2002)http://www.calvin.edu/publications/spark/fall02/60s.htm] http://www.csrwire.com/PressRelease.php?id=1177]
*Adopt-a-Stream: Streamkeeper of the Year (2000)
*Calvin College Distinguished Alumni Award (1997)
*National Conservation Teacher of the Year (1995)
*Safari Club International National Educator of the Year (1995)
*Washington State Environmental Educator of the Year (1995)
*National Secondary Conservation Teacher of the Year (1994)
*Northwest State Regional Conservation Teacher of the Year (1994)
*Washington State Conservation Teacher of the Year (1994)
*Washington State Department of Fisheries Governors Award (1987)Kredit has also twice been awarded the
Department of the Interior 's Special Achievement Award for his work as a ranger atYellowstone Park . All in all, Kredit has won at least 25 awards and honors for his work inconservation ecology andsecondary education .ee also
*
Puget Sound environmental issues
*Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association ources and further material
* [http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2004-05/tst0305_24.pdf A Real Fish Story: Students raise salmon and ecological awareness]
* [http://disney.go.com/disneyhand/learning/teacherawards/bio/2005/KreditBIO.pdf The Walt Disney Company Teacher Award]
* [http://www.fieldandstreamextras.com/heroes/heroes.php?y=07&m=kredit Heroes of Conservation: Harlan Kredit, the Outdoors Instructor]
* [http://www.lyncs.org/schools/Salmon_Project/inside.html Lynden Christian Fish Hatchery]References
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