Musings

 
Portage (transitive and intransitive verb); páwrtij, pawr táazh: to carry boats or cargo across land from one waterway to another or around an unnavigable portion of a waterway" (Encarta Dictionary)

As you get to know me, you'll come to understand that wilderness canoe journeys have shaped my life. I often draw parallels to those adventures when thinking about what I'm doing at the moment. Sometimes I'm resting by a campfire after a long hard day of paddling against stiff winds. Sometimes I'm whining about pesky mosquitoes. Sometimes I'm fondly recalling people I've briefly encountered on a portage path. Well, folks, the Iowa Wildlife Center has just successfully reached the end of a short but challenging portage and many of you have carried your weight and more to get us from one lake to another.

For months preceding Earth Week 2010, a marvelous group of volunteers from around central Iowa planned, gathered supplies and successfully carried out "In Our Hands", the weekend of activities that was to introduce the Iowa Wildlife Center mission, vision, goals and people to Iowans. Oh sure, there were obstacles along the way (what portage path doesn't have rocks that catch your toe or mud holes that attempt to suck you in?), but the group proved worthy of the task at hand. If you know these people, please take a moment to personally thank them for their commitment and hard work: Nan Bonfils (Madrid), Sheli Dougherty (Ames), Karen Hansen (Ft. Dodge), Mike Havlik (Madrid), Mary Swalla Holmes (Madrid), Ginny Malcomson (Des Moines), Gina McAndrews (Ames), Brad Meyer (Ogden), Erin Mugge, group coordinator (Ames) and Ann Robinson (Des Moines). IWC Program Interns Sarah Hart and Jessie Kissner were also key members of this group.

This group brought along other volunteers who each contributed their time and talent to the April 23rd Douglas Wood Concert and/or the April 24th activities on WildWay. Naturalists and students, scientists, teachers and yes, a physical therapist, all shared their time and talents. The Iowa Wildlife Center owes them many thanks.

The 300+ attendees of the weekend also "made our day" with their enthusiasm, questions, presence and financial support. We are made stronger because of you.

No endeavor such as this one is without sponsors. The following organizations and businesses believe enough in the mission of the Iowa Wildlife Center to provide major financial or in-kind support for In Our Hands: Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Wheatsfield Cooperative of Ames, Wild Birds Unlimited of Ames, Entrepreneurial Technologies, Trees Forever and PowerFilm Solar. Our thanks are not enough. We'll remember your belief in us long into our journey and hope you'll continue to encourage us and share our moments of celebration.

Mary Swander, Poet Laureate of Iowa and Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, helped provide the weekend with written word turned into oral color as MFA students in Iowa State University's Creative Writing and the Environment Program read their interpretations of the natural world. As a former ISU English major, I know the work involved in turning complex thought into meaningful written words, written words into well-executed readings. I thank Fred MacVaugh, Dara Poorman and Daniel Wise for their wonderful readings. Connecting people to the Earth is often done one word at a time.

To Mike Havlik, Des Moines Y-Camp head naturalists, people just can't get "big owls hoot, little owls toot" out of their brains or off their tongues! He did his job and warmed the audience with his passion and knowledge. I'm so lucky to call him my friend and colleague.

What can I say about the man who guided me and tested me on my earliest wilderness canoe trips? Douglas Wood has earned a place on the Iowa Wildlife Center's "most memorable voyageur" list and in my heart. IWC brought Doug to central Iowa earlier in the week to bring simultaneous messages of awareness about IWC and environmental stewardship to these area schools: United Community School (thank you, teachers, administration and PTO!), Franklin and Bryant elementary schools of Boone, and the Madrid Elementary School (thank you, teachers, administration and Boone County Conservation Foundation!). Doug also performed at the Ames Public Library and met with some of the ISU MFA students over lunch. We had him running from one part of central Iowa to another and he carried his load with his usual professional technique. Doug's son, Bryan, co-director of the Audubon Center of the Northwoods, added his own amazing talent and a son's banter to the concert. The two of them brought the audience to their feet as a sincere thank you for what they gave to each of us that night.

Jim Pease? You can't keep a good man down, even if he has only one good leg to stand on. A recent knee replacement didn't prevent Dr. Pease, IWC Board of Directors, from doing a superb job as Master of Ceremonies at the concert.

John Paul Haggard touched the Earth and many of us during the Blessing Ceremony on WildWay. Speakers Mark Ackelson (President, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation), Pat Boddy (Deputy Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources), Larry Stone (author, photographer), Don Adams (former co-owner of the land), Elaine Thrune (National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association), Kip Parker (wildlife consultant, Toronto, Ontario), and Mike Havlik shared powerful words of partnership and responsibility.

And finally, my thanks to the IWC Steering Committee and Board of Directors. You worked hard behind the scenes or during the weekend. You are making the Iowa Wildlife Center a strong and relevant organization.

If I've forgotten to thank someone, nudge me. Everyone carried their weight and more on this portage path. Clear, deep waters ahead. Onward canoes!