The Nature Conservancy in Idaho Welcomes New Silver Creek Preserve Manager

The Nature Conservancy in Idaho welcomes Dirk Anderson as the new Silver Creek Preserve Manager, effective August 1. With extensive experience in natural resource stewardship and environmental education, Anderson will live on preserve grounds and oversee its day-to-day management, along with the continued implementation of a five-year enhancement project. 
 
Most recently,  Anderson worked for five years as the Environmental Education & Stewardship Coordinator for Bogus Basin Recreational Association in Boise. Anderson and his team provided hands-on learning for thousands of individuals through field trips, tours and outreach, with all the programs centered around hands-on, place-based learning.  He also led the stewardship and sustainability team at Bogus Basin, which is responsible for managing invasive plant species, erosion control and restoration projects across 3,500 acres of private and U.S. Forest Service lands.

Born and raised in Idaho City, Anderson discovered his passion for connecting people with nature early on. He began his career as a field instructor at the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS), where he received an M.S. degree in Natural Resources and a graduate teaching certificate in environmental education from the University of Idaho. 
 
“The chance to work and live at Silver Creek Preserve is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Anderson. “This position offers a unique combination of outdoor recreation, landowner partnerships, public engagement and land stewardship, and I am excited to be part of The Nature Conservancy and the community.” He and his family look forward to settling in at the Preserve, engaging with the public and furthering TNC’s mission at the Preserve and within the community.  Anderson can be reached at dirk.anderson@tnc.org. 

Anderson will succeed Lou Lunte, who is retiring at the end of September after a 36-year career at TNC Idaho. Driven by a passion for living close to nature and sharing that connection to the natural world with others, Lunte and his wife Cindy started as caretakers of Silver Creek Preserve in 1988, doing everything from fixing fences and monitoring water quality to building the manager’s house and greeting visitors. Lunte continued to rise through the ranks and was appointed the Chapter’s Deputy Director, where he played a seminal role in the protection of Rinker Rock Creek Ranch, Pioneers to Craters landscape, Thousand Springs and Hells Canyon, as well as the creation of the multi-partner Owyhee Initiative. In 2020, Lunte came “full circle” by returning to the Silver Creek Preserve Manager position. He has overseen the completion of the new Conservation and Education Center, facilitated programs that engage youth and school groups in nature, and helped develop efforts to make the Preserve more inclusive and accessible for all people.