Bethany Walters, a Central Lakes College Natural Resources honor student from Crosslake, has been named Minnesota’s Student Conservationist of the Year. The Minnesota Chapter of the Wildlife Society presented the award at its annual meeting held jointly with the American Fisheries Society, Society of American Foresters, and Society for Conservation Biology March 1-3 at Grand View Lodge, Nisswa. Walters is a sophomore at CLC and co-president of the Natural Resources Club. Nominated by Dr. William Faber of the college faculty, she has been a leader directing several projects overseen by the Natural Resources program. Among them: Placement and monitoring of 22 Brainerd campus bluebird houses, doing likewise with a registered purple martin house, chimney swift nest, and osprey nesting platform at CLC. Walters has supervised campus aviary activities year-round during two years as a CLC student. Faber said the award-winning student can be credited for making Central Lakes College a bird-friendly campus.