Jean Eells of Hamilton County received the Division of Soil Conservation Award at the 68th Annual Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts Commissioners Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines.

Eells has served as a Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District commissioner for 17 years. She is serving her last 12 years as a member of the State Soil Conservation Committee.

She has accomplished many projects on topics ranging from watersheds to wildlife. She started a research project as an outgrowth of her soil conservation service that ended up shaping an approach used by Women, Food and Agriculture Network in their Women Caring for the Land meetings. Her work has gained national attention and she has done some work with absentee landowners with other groups and organizations