His commitment has only increased over the years with an abiding devotion to both conventional and not so conventional learning. Following his retirement as a doctor in 2001, Gerry worked for a year at a local, family run sawmill to learn about the various qualities of timber. He completed training in the Wisconsin Woodland Leadership Institute and graduated from the Natural Resource Program at Fox Valley Technical College in 2002.

He has applied his expertise to conservation enhancements on 213 acres of land in Shawano and Outagamie counties. There, Gerry and his family replanted swamp white oak, which had suffered significantly from mismanagement, and added buffer zones of pine and oak to stop soil erosion into the Wolf River. They further enhanced wildlife populations by adding a pond and leasing 30 acres to a farmer neighbor whose corn and soybean crops provided winter forage for turkey and deer populations.

Gerry serves as a role model for the conservation community. He helped found a landowner organization called Wisconsin Family Forests and now serves as its Executive Director. He also provides conservation community service as chair of the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, Wolf River Chapter.

Paul DeLong, Wisconsin Chief State Forester, in his supporting letter of recommendation, said the recognition of Gerry Mich for the Leopold Conservation Award serves a "dual purpose."

"Gerry's personal efforts to restore his land and help others do likewise deserve praise," DeLong wrote, "At the same time, and more to Gerry's purpose in applying for the award, the recognition could advance the environmental causes he's dedicated himself to."