Mike Bechtel, Wartburg College professor and Ioponics creator, took second place in the adult category of the annual Cox Conserves Heroes awards program.

The awards program is part of the enterprise’s national sustainability initiative and recognizes adult and youth volunteers who are making a positive impact on the environment. Over the last decade, Bechtel and a host of Wartburg students have developed and then shared plans for the Ioponics system, which combines aquaculture with hydroponics in an integrated system using aerobic bacteria to transform fish waste into nutrients for plants. The system was selected by the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council in 2021, 2022 and 2023 to be shared with educators across the state and is now in at least 75 Iowa counties and 14 states.

“His goals include placing these systems in developing countries so people who are food insecure can grow tabletop consumables all year round,” his nominator wrote. “His impact, regardless of whether or not he wants to admit it, has been nothing but positive and effective. He did not start this company to be recognized but rather to help make long-lasting change for communities he genuinely cares about.”

As the second-place winner, Bechtel received $15,000 for his favorite nonprofit: the Morpho Institute, which supports education toward Amazon rainforest conservation and sustainability.

“The Morpho Institute’s focus is on conservation in the Amazon. Their scholarships to teachers for their Educator Academy in the Amazon allow a broad cross-section of K-12 teachers to experience the Amazon and Morpho’s educational programming. The money helps educate educators, assists indigenous populations and creates a global network.” said Bechtel.

Bechtel has traveled to Peru multiple times to engage in education and conservation efforts. The Morpho Institute was introduced to Bechtel by Wartburg alumnus DC Randle when they first traveled to the Amazon with the University of Minnesota. In 2018, he traveled with Tyler Vogel, who was then a student at the college, to build a giant bat house to reduce the mosquito population and, in turn, malaria in the Sucusari community. As part of a Wartburg May Term course, he also takes students to the Amazon to learn about the ecosystem, issues with resource management and indigenous cultures.

“A founding drive of my undergraduate education at Wartburg was to make something better. I have been lucky enough to be able to do that with the help of an amazing family, excellent peers and fantastic students. I always wanted to see the Amazon and experience its rainforest. Through my courses at Wartburg College, I not only participate in interesting experiences but get the opportunity to learn alongside others, whether on this continent or another,” Bechtel said.