Faces of Conservation

Mike Parkowski: Bringing Public and Private Interests Together

After nine years on the Delaware chapter’s Board of Trustees, Mike Parkowski took on the new role as Chair in July 2008.

Although he grew up hunting and fishing in Pennsylvania’s mountains and streams, Mike took to Delaware’s unique habitats after visiting the ocean for the first time when he was a teenager. Later, as a former Deputy Attorney General representing the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, Mike oversaw the Public Lands survey along the Delaware Coast, a monumental project that introduced him up close to Delaware’s beaches and back bays.

“We pieced together historical survey maps and documents to make sure the existence of these publicly-owned lands could never be disputed,” says Parkowski. “It was a great introduction to conservation.”

Over a 33-year career in environmental law, Mike has also drafted numerous laws and regulations as an attorney in the public sector and in private practice. In his new role as Board Chair, he hopes to apply his experience towards working with government agencies, private landowners and others to protect Delaware’s coastal areas, as well as places like the Nanticoke River and the Blackbird-Millington Corridor.

“I enjoyed participating in the Conservancy’s Private Landowner workshop held earlier this year,” adds Parkowski. “I look forward to interacting more with these folks since lots of what needs to be protected is privately owned. It’s an exciting time for conservation.”