Retired educator, perennial community volunteer, and now officially ‘Environmental Hero’ Catharine Wieck of Dysart. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE WALDEN/WALDEN PHOTOS

CEDAR FALLS – Longtime Dysart resident Catharine Wieck – colloquially and affectionately known as the community’s ‘tree lady’ – was honored late last month in Cedar Falls during the 19th Annual MercyOne Heroes Among Us Awards Celebration as the 2024 Environmental Hero recipient.

Wieck, a retired educator, dedicated and enthusiastic community volunteer, and avid local conservationist, has spent more than three decades working to preserve and enhance Dysart’s tree canopy through her work with the local Tree Board. During her tenure on the board, she has helped the community bounce back from multiple, destructive weather events including the 2020 Derecho and July 14, 2021 EF-1 tornado which tore through the town’s southern edge.

“Over the last 36 years, she has worked tirelessly to plant and maintain trees,” the awards program proclaimed of Wieck. “[She] has overseen numerous projects, from establishing an arboretum to developing walking trails lined with trees.”

During the annual awards ceremony and breakfast held at the Diamond Event Center in Cedar Falls on Thursday, March 27, Wieck, 93, was celebrated as one of nine local heroes who have “done something extraordinary to benefit others and their community.”

“Trees help beautify our town, and they’re crucial for the environment,” Wieck, quoted in the program, said. “It’s about creating spaces where people can enjoy nature.”

Catharine Wieck, fourth from left (blue shirt), pictured on March 27 in Cedar Falls with her MercyOne Heroes Among Us Award alongside her fellow 2024 recipients. Emcee Ron Steele (back right), is also pictured. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE WALDEN/WALDEN PHOTOS

One of Wieck’s most recent projects was helping her good friend and fellow conservationist Cathy Irvine – herself a 2022 recipient of the Environmental Hero award – establish the Viola Irvine Nature Preserve on the south side of Dysart on land passed down from Irvine’s husband’s great grandparents.

Like Irvine, Wieck remained ever humble in her accomplishments.

“I’m just one small cog in the machine,” Wieck said. “I want to see the ongoing efforts sustain themselves even after I’m gone.”

Wieck’s full award biography is printed below. Congratulations, Catharine!

Environmental Hero – Catharine Wieck

Your 2024 Environmental Heroes Among Us recipient is Catharine Wieck.

As she approaches her 94th birthday, Catharine Wieck of Dysart is proud to have left a lasting mark on her community through tree conservation.

Catharine’s environmental passion has earned her the nickname “the tree lady.” Catherine now serves on the community’s Tree Board protecting and building the Cedar Valley tree population. Over the last 36 years, she has worked tirelessly to plant and maintain trees, among the others in her group.

“Trees help beautify our town, and they’re crucial for the environment,” she emphasizes. “It’s about creating spaces where people can enjoy nature.”

Catharine has overseen numerous projects, from establishing an arboretum to developing walking trails lined with trees. Her recent initiative includes transforming land into a meditation area for people to reconnect with themselves and nature.

Catharine’s parents were always her two heroes. She was born in Fort Dodge, lowa, and raised on a farm near Dayton. “I grew up in a family with one brother, and my parents, both farmers, were active in the community, setting a good example of service,” she said.

After graduating from Dayton High School in 1949, Catharine pursued a degree at what was then lowa State Teachers College before teaching at rural Tama County. She met and married her husband, Paul, starting a life together while raising their three children.

Catharine’s commitment to service blossomed over the years. She paused her career to focus on her family but returned to the classroom after ten years. In addition to her teaching duties, she dedicated seven years to being a 4-H leader. “I felt it was my mission to contribute to making our world a better place – no matter how small the actions may seem,” said Catherine.

She remains humble about her accomplishments. “I’m just one small cog in the machine,” she insists. Yet, her community recognizes the passion and effort she puts into her projects. “I want to see the ongoing efforts sustain themselves even after I’m gone,” she said. She stresses the importance of cultivating a new generation of volunteers to ensure the community’s projects are maintained long into the future.

2024 Heroes Among Us Awards honorees

-Animal Hero: Lou, pet therapy dog

-Community Service Hero: Jim Larson, Cedar Falls

-Environment Hero: Catharine Wieck, Dysart

-Good Samaritan Adult Heroes: Carter Stubitz, Waverly and Sam Nicolino, Des Moines

-Good Samaritan Youth Hero: Bailey Miller, Cedar Falls

-Medical/Health Care Hero: Kevin Dill, Waukee

-Military Hero: Marvin Carr, Cedar Falls

-Public Safety Heroes: Officers Amira Ehlers and Justin Brandt of Waterloo and Officer Katelyn Christensen of Independence

-Workplace Hero: Laura Kats, Aplington

For more information on the annual Heroes Among Us Awards, including how to nominate a future hero, contact Diane Jorgensen at 319-268-3161 or diane.jorgensen@mercyhealth.com.