Pamela Larsen

Dennis Larsen was born in Aurora, IL on October 4, 1942. He was the oldest of five children. Growing up in Batavia, IL, he loved being outside roaming in the fields where he learned to hunt and observe wildlife, and appreciate their roles in nature. Dennis had a fox and a hawk as pets when he was in high school and he and his wife, Pamela had a pet fox after they were married.
While attending Batavia schools, he showed a love of reading, oftentimes reading though not doing his written work. His favorite books were about nature, adventures, and World War II. Dennis graduated from Batavia High School in 1960. While unsure of his future career path, he worked while taking courses at Elgin Junior College and then later at NIU.
At NIU, Dennis majored in biology and was greatly influenced by his professors, especially when he studied general zoology, invertebrate zoology, fish and wildlife, and field zoology under Dr. Mathers. Dennis found his NIU professors to be very strong in their area of expertise and eager to have studens learn and be successful. Dennis continued to take graduate level biology courses after he graduated but never pursued a master’s degree. He enjoyed studying plant taxonomy with Dr. Sorensen.
After teaching 22 years of high school biology in Plainfield, Dennis worked on some aquatic studies and was a member of the steering committee for the Tekawitha Outdoor Nature Center for the Kane County Forest Preserve. He was also a consultant for a birding project at East View Elementary in Oswego where he developed the bird feeding and viewing areas. It was through Dennis’ involvement in a grant used in part by Cornell University’s “Project FeederWatch” that gave him and his wife, Pam, the opportunity to work together with East View 4th and 5th graders. Together with the students, they enjoyed activities and presenting them to other students, administrators, and parents. Dennis enjoyed sharing his knowledge and love of nature, and, after this project, he was selected as a ‘Home and School Volunteer of the Year’ for his work at East View.
Dennis’ love of nature and his biology experience at NIU helped him to develop an understanding and deep appreciation for the environment and the need to protect it through our behavior and support of groups devoted to protecting it. He believed that education is the first step to being able to recognize, evaluate, and solve problems. In creating this scholarship, it is Pam’s hope to help people who love biology, nature, and the environment the way Dennis did.