A University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 1993 forestry graduate has been named the new director of the Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES), located in Amherst Junction.

Scott Johnson, a native of Barneveld, began his work at CWES last month.

Johnson has an extensive background in outdoor education. Since 2001 he has worked as a natural resource educator for Wyalusing State Park near Bagley. His duties included developing and administering more than 20 outdoor education programs for children and adults and increasing participation in the parks programs. While there, Johnson doubled the attendance of the educational programs to 7,500 participants and increased the number of volunteers from 20 to 1,100. He also gained a great deal of attention, including air time on two statewide television programs, for his invasive species eradication programs.

Randy Champeau, associate dean of the College of Natural Resources Outreach and Extension, is hopeful that under Johnson�s direction CWES will be headed for a "revived, bright future." Champeau went on to say, "(We) were clearly impressed with Scott�s credentials and we believe he has the background and experience to lead CWES in being the best it can be."

Prior to working for Wyalusing, Johnson served as executive director of the Outdoor Skills and Education Center in Plymouth. He also has held positions as a school program director for the center in Plymouth, as an intern naturalist at Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River and as a naturalist at Pattison State Park in Superior. All those positions involved developing and teaching outdoor education programs to youths and adults.

Johnson is an avid outdoorsman interested in canoeing, hiking, cross country skiing, hunting and a variety of other activities.

A UWSP College of Natural Resources field station on the shores of Sunset Lake, CWES was the first site in Wisconsin to be designated as a "National Environmental Study Area" by the National Park Service. The station gives people from the university and the community the opportunity to learn about outdoor skills and the environment. The 300-acre learning and teaching center has been an integral part of UWSP�s environmental mission since 1975.