Our Western heritage has long recognized the honor and importance of skillful sportsmen. The Nimrod Education Center draws its name from the biblical Nimrod, named mighty hunter before the Lord.
“Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore, it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’”
–Genesis 10: 8-9
Since 1844, Hillsdale College has been committed to the principles that our country’s Founders referred to as the “laws of nature and of nature’s God.” These principles govern not only human affairs but all things in nature, influencing both the physical and moral universe. At Hillsdale, the study of the natural sciences is an essential part of a liberal arts education.
Through hunting and fishing, wildlife populations are balanced, and conservation efforts are supported. Additionally, hunting and fishing benefit participants by teaching responsibility and cultivating virtues. For these reasons, they remain vital components of America’s heritage.
In 2020, Mr. Alan Taylor, president of the Nimrod Society, made a generous gift to establish an endowment for the Nimrod Education Center. Thanks to his foresight, the Nimrod Education Center now offers programs to educate Hillsdale College students and the broader community about the societal benefits of hunting and fishing.
Al Stewart serves as Director of the Nimrod Education Center. He is also an Adjunct Instructor at Michigan State University. He is associated with the USA Olympic National Team that is located at Hillsdale College, and he serves as VP of the Glassen Foundation.
He retired from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources after 50 years with the organization.
Al has both a professional and personal interest in upland game birds. He has followed them for over 50 years. He has had the opportunity to study them in Europe, Russia, Canada, Great Britain, Africa, Mexico, and the United States.
As the Upland Game Bird Specialist and Program Leader for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, he was responsible for statewide conservation and management programs for ruffed grouse, American woodcock, sharp-tailed grouse, quail, pheasants, and wild turkeys. He has been involved with teaching wildlife management for Study Abroad classes in Africa and Russia.
He has also taught at the South African Wildlife College. Al oversaw the largest American woodcock chick banding program in the world and is the only person to have captured for restoration or research projects all the species and sub-species of wild turkeys in the world. Al is an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) commissioner and a professional member of the Boone and Crockett Club.
He has contributed to international and national management activities for upland game birds and has received numerous awards for his contributions including the Teddy Roosevelt National Conservation Award from President George H. Bush that was presented at the White House, MSU Outstanding Alumni Service Award, Henry S. Mosby NWTF Lifetime Achievement Award, Pheasants Forever Lifetime Achievement Award, Dodge Brothers National Conservation Award by Matilda Dodge Wilson Foundation at Meadowbrook Hall, Marv Cooley DNR Wildlife Division dedication award, and Michigan United Conservation Club’s “Legacy” award.
“A knowledge of these arts [hunting and fishing] may well be cultivated and cherished like a knowledge of the humanities and the sciences”
—President Calvin Coolidge