Howard Akers, a resident of Bethany, PA displays the engraved clock he received in recognition of 21 years of service to the Wayne Conservation District. While many residents of the region remember the trim 90-year-old senior from the 40 years he drove a school bus, he is also known for his love of forests and his work on their behalf.

Even today, Akers says there’s no place he’d rather be than “in the woods.” Akers and his brother-in-law purchased 638 acres of Sterling Township land and began practicing sustainable forestry long before it became a common practice in the region. The avid reader has always taken pleasure in watching saplings grow and forests regenerate. His favorite tree? “Hard maples,” he says with a smile, recalling the days when his family produced maple syrup from their forest.