Scholarship Description:
A native of Scioto County, Bernie was a 1976 graduate of Northwest High School. He later attended Ohio University and graduated with honors in 1987, with a bachelor’s degree in environmental zoology. The following year he took a job with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
To his coworkers at the Ohio EPA, Bernie was known as a dedicated and likable man who had extensive knowledge of dragonflies. “He was one of those guys, if you asked him to do something you knew it would get done without any questions,” said Chris Yoder, supervisor of the ecological assessment unit where Bernie worked.
Counts conducted aquatic ecological studies for sites regulated by the Division of Emergency and Remedial Response. He investigated the environmental damage done by chemical spills and other pollution problems. Over the years, Bernie was involved in evaluating more than 80 rivers and streams in Ohio. He helped raise the alarm about the hazards in the Little Scioto River in Marion County long before Marion’s pollution problems became widely known.
An avid reader and life-long learner, Bernie was a member of the Dragonfly Society of America and the Ohio Odonata Society. He contributed a chapter to Dragonflies of Ohio, written by his friend, Bob Glotzhober, curator of natural history for the Ohio Historical Society.
“Bernie dedicated his life to making a small footprint on the planet. He was involved in many environmental protection issues and practiced what he preached,” said co-worker Dave Altfater. Bernie will be fondly remembered as an excellent colleague, an advocate for the environment, and a man dedicated and passionate about his work. All who knew him felt fortunate to have called Bernie Counts a friend.