A day in the life: the Grundy County Conservationist

MORRISON- Of all of the subjects of A Day in the Life thus far, readers of this newspaper probably know Kevin Williams the best: the Grundy County Conservationist is a frequent columnist and has been working for the department longer than I’ve been alive. I spent Friday morning with him, learning about the job and accompanying the Busy Bee Winnies, a senior citizen camping group, as they took a tour before staying at the Grundy County Fairgrounds.
           
Williams, who grew up in rural Colfax, decided pretty young that he wanted to be involved in conservation, but he never planned on staying in Grundy County this long. After graduating from Iowa State with a Fish and Wildlife degree, he deduced that if he was going to get married and have a family, he’d need a “real job,” with full-time hours, benefits and all that jazz. So he came here, found an apartment in Beaman and got to work, hoping to stay for a year or two and then move on to a state job. He still hasn’t left yet. Though he actually lives about a mile into Tama County between Beaman and Gladbrook, you won’t meet someone who knows more about Grundy County history or the landscape than Kevin.
           
In 1994, Williams became the head of the department, and he now oversees all of the county parks while operating out of the museum in Morrison (pop. 94). With two full-timers and three seasonal workers, everyone stays busy, and the director doesn’t take any flack.
           
“I always tell the guys that I’ve done every job there is to do in this department, so don’t snow me,” Williams said. 
 
Read the full story in this week's Grundy Register, or subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here.