ACNW Summer 2013 Newsletter

Audubon Center of the North Woods

News from the North Woods

Summer 2013 Volume 39, Issue 1

A proud leader in environmental education and renewable energy In This Issue Milestone Teacher Recognition 1 A Foundation of Bedrock

1

Facts & Myths about Owls

2

New Cultural Site

3

Educator Opportunity

3

Wish Lists

4

Employee Spotlight

4

Warblermania

5

Volunteer Spotlight

5

Spotlight on Schools

6

Scenic MN Motorcycle Tour

6

Milestone Teachers

7

New Staff

8

Upcoming Programs

9

Farewell to Current Interns

10

Volunteer Opportunities

10

Thank You

11

Upcoming Events See our website for details Birding Bonanza Weekend June 7-9. 2013 Dinner at the Lake June 7, 2013 Dinner at the Lake June 8, 2013 Migration Mysteries Road Scholar ® June 9-14, 2013 Will Steger Foundation Summer Institute June 16, 2013 Grindstone Lake Pontoon Tours June-September, 2013 Water, Woods & Wisdom family camp, June 16-22, 2013 Forkhorn II Camp July 29 - August 2, 2013 Motorcycling Scenic MN Tour July 8-12. 2013 Migration Mysteries Road Scholar ® August 25-30, 2013 Migration Mysteries Road Scholar ® September 1-6, 2013

Milestone Teacher Recognition

A Foundation of Bedrock

by Clarissa Ellis, K12 Program Director

by Bryan Wood, Co-Director

Making connections between kids and the natural world has always been a part of what happens at the Audubon Center. Schools, communities and teachers play a vital role in facilitating this experience. This year we are formally recognizing schools and teachers who have been bringing their students to the Center for 10 years or more. See the list of teachers and schools on page 7.

Mike and Jane Link began the school program tradition at the Center with day trips for local students on a variety of natural history subjects. At that time, the only housing available for residential programs was Schwyzer Lodge. Residential programs were focused on reaching “multipliers” – teachers and naturalists who could share their knowledge and love of the natural world with their students. We continued to do day programs for local schools, and did on-site programs for the students at Finlayson and East Central Elementary schools.

With any organization, the foundation that is laid early on sets the tone for years to come. It is through the collective actions of individuals that a culture is developed, expectations are raised, and a reputation is built. It does not happen overnight, and it does not happen without the right people in place. It requires talented and captivating leaders to create that atmosphere of excellence. The Audubon Center has been lucky to h ave nu merou s individuals over our four decades offer their talents and skills to build the Center into what it is today – a leader in environmental education. And within the past couple years, two former employees have been recognized statewide as standing out from the field. Considering that Minnesota has long been a national leader in environmental education with its numerous residential environmental learning centers, dozens of nature centers, and hundreds of county, city, state and national parks and forests, this recognition carries a weight that few states can match.

In the early 1990’s however, a need to provide more Minnesota K-12 schools with the opportunity was identified. A number of residential environmental learning centers decided to expand their residential capacity to meet that need. We started visiting teachers and schools to let them know about these opportunities. Some of our relationships with schools and teachers date back to these times. By 1995 plans were underway to build a new dining hall and dormitory facility that would allow us to

In 2012, the Minnesota Association for Environmental Education initiated bestowing annual Lifetime Achievement Awards designed to recognize transcendent individuals who have made a significant, lasting impact for Minnesota in the field of environmental education. The Audubon Center of the North Woods is extremely proud that the first two recipients are Audubon Center of the North Woods alumni. In 2012, MAEE presented its inaugural Lifetime Achievement

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News from the North Woods

Facts and Myths About Owls

by Jeff Tyson, Wildlife Coordinator

This past winter was an amazing winter to be a birder with a passion for owls. Once every several years we get an irruption of northern owls into Minnesota. Every year we get a few Snowy Owls that call Minnesota and Wisconsin home for the winter. This year we were blessed with the presence of some Snowy Owls with the additions of Great Gray, Northern Hawk and Boreal Owls. This winter I was lucky enough to see a Boreal Owl, a species that had not yet been added to my life list. Talking to the public about this irruption of northern owls reminds me there are still a lot of misconceptions about owls.

One of the most common things we hear is that owls can turn their heads all the way around. Owls can indeed turn their heads very far around, but not 360 degrees. The exact degree to which they can turn their head varies a bit by species, but generally it is about 270 degrees. You almost never get to witness an owl turning their head that far, when they are looking straight back they just turn their head and look the other direction. Owls are able to turn their head so far out of necessity; unlike us owls cannot move their eyes, so to maintain a good field of view the head rotation is necessary.

Another unknown fact about owls that impress many is that they have the capability of silent flight, at least to the extent of our human hearing and to most of their prey. There are several adaptations that owls have that contribute to their silent flight. The leading edges of the wing, the primary feathers, have a comblike appearance. This reduces noise caused by turbulence as air moves over the wing.

The trailing edge of the wing appears “tattered” and has a similar function in smoothing air flow contributing to reduced noise volume. It is often assumed that owls have silent flight so they can sneak up on their prey. This is certainly a factor, conversely as the Kangaroo rat has shown it can hear the low frequencies of www.audubon-center.org

Summer 2013

raptors have stomach acids that are 10 to 5000 times more acidic than owls and they digest the majority of bones in their pellets. Swallowing prey whole and weak stomach acid allows us a unique insight into the diet of the owls.

Next time you see an owl in the wild or in an education program, you can appreciate who they are for the amazing adaptations they have, not the myths or misconceptions for which they are often known.

Visit our facebook page to learn about our newest owl staff member.

sound emitted from owl flight and escape owls more often than other rodents.

However, the primary function of silent flight appears to be preserving the owl’s delicate sense of hearing. Northern species of owls hunt prey under snow cover and can pinpoint the location of prey by hearing alone. If they made noise in flight, they would quickly lose track of the prey during winter months.

What happens to prey items after the owl has consumed them? Earlier this year on an outreach program, “Cleo” our Great Horned Owl cast a pellet while on display on his perch. As I retrieved the pellet and brought it over to the visitors, some moved back in disgust while several young girls moved forward with fascination. That’s a pretty typical response, owl pellets aren’t for everyone, but if you can get past the gross factor they are really fascinating.

First, owl pellets are puke, not poop. It is simply the indigestible portion of the meal that they “cough” back up sometime between 7 and 22 hours after eating. There are several species of predatory birds that cast pellets besides owls. What makes owl pellets unique is that they contain many of the bones that were in their prey. Owls swallow prey whole when size permits, unlike many other raptors which tear up their food. Diurnal (hunt during the day)

The Audubon Center was awarded a grant from the Minnesota Ornithologists Union to purchase an autoclave, which will allow us to sterilize owl pellets for use in classroom dissections. If you are interested in obtaining pellets with a dissection kit, contact wildlife@audubon-center.org

Friend a Wild Critter Help support the care of any of our resident education birds and animals through our “Friend a Wild Critter” program. Your donation goes towards housing, medical care, food and enrichment items, to help encourage natural behavior in our non-releasable birds and mammals.

As part of the adoption process, you will receive a 4x6 magnet photo of the animal, an “Adoption Certificate”, a personal and natural history of “your” animal, recognition in our newsletter, and a tour of the ACNW wildlife facility. For more information, please contact Jeff Tyson, our Wildlife Coordinator or visit our website.

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serve more and larger groups. Even though we didn’t open the new buildings until 1997, we had a few brave schools and teachers who pioneered the way, and started bringing students before the new facilities were ready.

I have a vivid picture in my mind of a camp of canvas tents borrowed from the Pine City Boy Scouts set up on what would be the site of the new buildings. Half of the students and teachers from L.C. Webster Elementary were going to sleep in Schwyzer Lodge and the other half in the tents the first night, and then everyone would switch the next night. Easy, right? Except that the second night Minnesota spring weather threw us a curve ball, and gave us a blizzard. Perhaps not the adventure the teachers and students had imagined, we ended up having a big slumber (with excited 5th graders?) party in Schwyzer Lodge.

Falcon Heights Elementary also came two years before the new building opened. Fortunately, our blizzard experience was not repeated for them. These two schools, along with the six others that brought students in 1997 when we opened the new buildings, became our founding school partners. Most of them continue to bring students every year.

We’ve had many adventures and laughs together over the years. Who could forget Mr. Wilson celebrating his birthday by donning a grass skirt and lei and entertaining the students with a hula dance? Or Mr. Gutknecht and Mrs. Lima’s annual tradition of a telling the “Lady of the Lake” story around a campfire? Or Mr. Hausman and Mr. Hanson dressing up in funny clothes and wigs for the talent show? Or Mr. Volberding and Mr. Inselmann’s night hikes to see the night sky?

All of these contributions and so many more help us add depth to the students’ memories of their time at the Audubon Center.

Bringing students here takes a huge commitment and a lot of work on the part of the schools, communities and teachers who do so. They see the value of giving their students the opportunity to learn from one another, from our staff, and from the natural world. Without them we could not fulfill our mission for kids. Sign language applause to our teachers and schools!

New Replica Cultural Site at the Center apashki daawin (pronounced a-pash-key daywin), or “Ruffed Grouse Village” is tucked away on a peaceful hill canopied by old growth oaks and majestic red pines overlooking a fog misted marshland. apashki daawin represents the changing of the four seasons, with multiple unique structures filled with time appropriate, handmade artifacts, animal hides, and games. This setting, along with stories provides hands-on interactions, representing Minnesota’s Anishinabe and Dakota native cultures throughout the thirteen moons.

Photo

With the update of our cultural site we are able to generate new curriculum infused with tbd Minnesota’s history.

The transformation of our current “Ojibwe Hike” class is currently underway. In addition one key development is our new and upcoming “Fur Trade” class which will utilize apashki daawin to represent cultural importances.

Once the construction is completed, our hope is to have a medicine man bless apashki daawin in honor of its purpose: to allow people of all ages a place to experience how life once was in our own region.

We have only been able to fulfill this dream through the generous donations of time, materials and animal artifacts. Thank you to all who have been involved!

Donations and volunteer help are still welcome!

Educators - sign up for this great opportunity!

The Audubon Center of the North Woods is hosting the Will Steger Foundation’s Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, June 16-18, 2013. We are thrilled to work with the foundation to provide the setting for the 2-night, 3-day workshop focusing on energy education. As climate change impacts become a daily reality, it is even more important to develop energy-literate students with a new vision of what our energy future needs to look like. Energy efficiency, conservation and renewable technologies are part of the solution to climate change involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) principles that can be integrated into your educational setting. With grant funding from the Center for the Energy and Environment, the Foundation is able to provide the training to teachers at the incredibly low cost of $70/person. That includes all meals, lodging, instruction and workshops during your stay. This Teachers’ Institute is a great resource to help teachers gain the tools to be able to integrate these subjects into their classrooms with the necessary knowledge and confidence. To find out more and sign up, visit the Will Steger Foundation’s website at willstegerfoundation.org — don’t miss out on this wonderful low-cost opportunity! www.audubon-center.org

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News from the North Woods

Employee Spotlight Congratulations on 30 years to

Clarissa Ellis - K-12 Program Director I began my Audubon Center career in 1983, as a cook, naturalist, and Jill of all trades. Since 1997, I have been the School Programs Coordinator. My primary responsibilities are overseeing our K-12 education program, scheduling, and teaching.

Nature and the outdoors have always been central to my life. As a child I was fortunate to have the freedom to roam and explore the fields and woods around my small hometown, spend time on my grandparents’ farm, and travel to Canada with my family.

I attended the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and earned a BS in History and Anthropology. After college, I worked in a variety of jobs and traveled. My resume from those years includes field archaeologist, paper mill maintenance worker, maple syrup maker, and historic site interpreter.

My interests and hobbies are varied. Spending time with my family is a priority. I enjoy everything that involves being outdoors – gardening, hiking, running, canoeing, camping, cross country skiing, bird watching, and working on our land.

Farewell and good wishes to

Jess Harguth - Intern Coordinator I first learned about the Audubon Center while a student at Northland College, where I was able to attend the Center’s Fall Block program for the Outdoor Education: Natural History major. After graduating from Northland in May 2009, I was offered the position of Post Secondary Assistant Teacher here at the Center, working with our various college programs, including Northland Fall Block, January Interim, Community College weekends, and Spring Transition.

In 2010, the Intern Coordinator position opened up and I stepped into this role hiring and working with the wonderful interns who come here to the Center!

Growing up in a rural community in the southeast MN, I could walk out my door and be able to explore and play in the woods all day! Both of my parents work for school districts and with their summers off, we would go camping, help on the family farm, and be outside as much as possible. When the time came to figure out what I wanted to pursue for a career, I was immediately drawn to the field of education. However I was not excited about spending so much time inside a classroom. I then discovered the Outdoor Education major at Northland College, in Ashland WI and knew I found what I had been looking for. I am able to work with and teach students of all ages with nature as my classroom! I love being able to inspire others to learn more about the world around them and look closer to discover something new!

It has been a wonderful experience to work here the past few years, and I am so thankful for all of the things I have been a part of! I will be done working at ACNW this summer, because I am getting married in June!! I am excited to see where this new adventure takes me, but will never forget all the memories, opportunities, and wonderful people I have been fortunate enough to know at the Audubon Center! www.audubon-center.org

Summer 2013

ACNW Wish List We are in need of the items below. Remember, your ‘in-kind’ donations are tax-deductible. Additional ‘wished for’ items can be found by visiting our AmazonWish List – simply log into amazon.com with your email address and select “Find a wish list or registry” from the dropdown menu (upper right). Type in ‘Audubon Center of the NorthWoods’ in the wish list search box and click ‘Go’

n utility trailer n reliable, fuel-efficient car for interns n 3/4 ton pick-up truck for snowplowing n canoe trailer n chainsaw n industrial-size washer & dryer n pressure sprayer n twin mattresses in excellent condition n handheld GPS units n firewood n cross country skis & snowshoes for very small kids n backpacking expedition packs n sleeping bags in excellent condition n ice machine n large mixing bowls n vacuum cleaner in good working order n table lamps n large stock pots n cultural site items (glass bead necklaces, flints, non-working flint-lock rifle, replica leather clothing, leather and hides) n bobcat/skidster n electric golf cart n ATV n riding mower/tractor n lawn sweeper n Montreal Voyageur Canoe

Wildlife Barn Wish List We have compiled a list of the following items that would assist us in the care of our educational animals or enhance the visit of those who come to learn about Minnesota’s wildlife. If you have or would like to purchase one of the following items it would be greatly appreciated. Rope comes on 100’ or 600’ spools, donations should be in whole spools. Raptor food is special ordered; the cash donation will go towards food purchases.

Many more items can be found on our Amazon.com wish list – search “Audubon Center of the North Woods” under wish lists.

n ¾” Manila Rope (Available from Amazon.com wish list) n ½” Manila Rope (Available from Amazon.com wish list) n ¼” Manila Rope (Available from Amazon.com wish list) n Raptor Food For a Month $150 n Parrot/dog toys (new or gently used) n Potted evergreen trees (less than 3’ tall) n Bird/Wildlife Art Work n Gift cards to Petco or Petsmart n Assorted Rubbermaid storage containers

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News from the North Woods

Warblermania May is the month for warblermania – when bird watchers go slightly mad trying to spot and identify the brightly colored songsters called warblers. Wood warblers are a diverse group of small, active, colorful birds with short pointed bills.

They winter “down south” in the southern U.S, and Central and South America, and spend their summer vacation “up north” eating insects and raising a family.

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Male common yellowthroat Look for these furtive, yellowolive warblers skulking through tangled vegetation, often at the edges of marshes and wetlands.

Females lack the mask and are much browner – though they usually show a hint of warm yellow at the throat.

Names can provide fun clues to what you might see if you spot a warbler – yellow-rumped, chestnut-sided, bay-breasted, black and white, or golden-winged warblers – to list just a few. Because many warblers live in the tops of trees, they can be tough to see. Learning their songs is another, perhaps more reliable way to identify them. Most humans don’t speak warbler, so we’ve created catchy phrases to help us remember warbler songs. Do you know who sings “pleased, pleased, pleased to meetcha”, “sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet”, or “Miss-i-ssip-pi? If not, listening to a bird song tape or CD can help you become familiar with warbler vocalizations.

The Audubon Center holds a federal bird banding license to band songbirds.

The most common bird banded here is the Black-capped chickadee, probably because they are year-round residents. Common yellowthroats, feisty little warblers of marshes and wetlands, are the most common type of warbler we capture, band and release. At the Audubon Center, we have records of visual and auditory identification of 17 species of warblers.

Volunteer Spotlight

As a non-profit organization, we depend on volunteers for help with everything from routine maintenance to special projects. Our board members are also volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time and talents to helping us succeed – a very special group of people who we deeply appreciate. The following is from Jim Obey, one of our long-time board members who also generously volunteers here at the Center on a regular basis... THANK YOU JIM!

A lifetime of enjoyable outdoor experiences led me to the Audubon Center. As a growing kid, I explored all that I could.

In college I majored in Biology with an interest in Ecology. My first teaching job was in a rain forest area of Liberia, West Africa. After Liberia I taught in the states giving me the summers to pursue my interests. Four of the summers involved getting a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University in Earth Science. I taught Biology and Earth Science here in Minnesota, then Biology and Life Science in the U.S. Virgin Islands. After the Virgin Islands, I found a teaching position with the Minnesota Department of Corrections in Pine County near the Audubon Center. A local Audubon chapter brought me in contact with the Center and outdoor experiences. Soon I bought a 400 acre wooded and wetland farm with some tillable land. My farming activities centered around habitat improvement and biodiversity.

In time, the farm was put in trust with the Minnesota Land Trust to protect it forever from development. Travels took me to places like Spitsbergen, the Galapagos Islands, Easter Island and the Marquesas. Today I am settled on the farm and play a small part at the center. My main interest is to promote the value of and protect what is left of our natural environment so others may enjoy it in the future.

If you are interested in volunteering some of your time and skills, please contact us. We are interested to hear about your areas of expertise and we have a growing list of specific jobs we could use your help. We do not have a minimum hour requirement – any amount of time would be a great asset and much appreciated.

www.audubon-center.org

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Spotlight on schools The Audubon Center presented programs for 78 K-12 public and charter schools in 2011-2012. Helping students and teachers to see the natural world with new eyes spurs them to further environmentally-focused actions in their schools. We celebrate this seed sprouting into a world in which we all live in balance with nature. If you know of a school that attends programs at the Audubon Center, and is to be celebrated for its science and/or environmental actions, please let us know so we can turn the spotlight on them in future columns.

Congratulations to Natural

Science Academy for being highlighted as ‘the little green school’ by Ron Schara on his Minnesota Bound program. The program, which aired 3/3/13 on KARE-11, features the school’s nature- and environment-focused learning. As authorizer of this St. Paul Park school, the Center is proud of their efforts to make nature-based learning an integral part of their curricula!

Way to go Laura Jeffreys

Academy! In April, the girls debate team at this Center-authorized St. Paul charter school won the citywide Urban Debate Championship, outperforming the Capitol Hill boys team. The debate topic in the championship was: “Resolved: The U.S. federal government should substantially increase its investment in mass transit.” Great job girls!

Kudos to La Crescent Montessori and STEM School, an ACNWauthorized charter school in La Crescent, MN. The school was recently featured in both the La Crosse Tribune and Houston County News for their art classes using recycled materials. “Sustainable art fits well with the school’s environmental focus,” art teacher Melissa Johnson said. Educators at the school stress recycling and other ways to be green.

Did you know... ...clean, renewable energy creates over 3 times more jobs per $1 invested than fossil fuel or nuclear jobs? Investing $1 million in building the green economy creates about 17 jobs within the US. By comparison, only about 5 jobs are created per $1 million in spending on fossil fuels and nuclear. Hurray for progress...2012 was the first time global investments in renewable energy surpassed investments in fossil fuels.

Sources: Department of Economics and Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Energy.gov

Craig Prudhomme (left), former ACNW Associate Director, with Ericka Roland (right) one of our youth campers from another generation returned to the Center this winter as a chaperone with her son (center) and his school, Poplar Bridge

www.audubon-center.org

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Recognition of our milestone attending schools and teachers The following teachers have been bringing their students to the Center for over 10 years and we wish to extend our appreciation of their hard work and dedication!

Teacher

School

City

yy Matthew Hausman yy Mollie Hegman yy Micah Friese yy Wendy Aro yy JoAnn Augustin yy Kevin Woitas yy Courtney Nagle yy Roann Trout yy Heather Kurth yy Keith Linzmeier yy Anne McQuillan yy Lori Forkner yy Nancy Ronhovde yy Erin Krell yy Marlys Van Nevel yy Natalie Ulmer de Ramirez yy Sarah Page yy Jay McGowen yy Stafford Gutknecht yy Melisa Rivera yy Kathy Griebel yy Rojean Flaherty yy Holly Skadsem yy Matt Marohn yy Mara Coyle yy Jessica Driscoll yy Patty Shade yy Kelly Wilson yy Mary Tollas yy Rick Wallin yy Emily Aberle yy Paula Higgins yy Jen Rosenkoetter

Falcon Heights Elementary School LC Webster Elementary School Castle Elementary Schl Highwood Hills Elementary School Houlton Elementary School Montgomery-Lonsdale Middle School Mounds Park Academy Sacred Heart School St. Anne Catholic School St. Mary’s School St. Thomas Academy Skyview Community School St. John the Baptist St. John the Baptist St. John’s Area School Brimhall Elem Emerson Spanish Immersion School Hiawatha Elementary School Loring Elementary Crossroads Elementary School Harambee Community Cultures School Marshall School Normandale Hills Elementary Poplar Bridge Elementary Battle Creek Elementary School Odyssey Academy White Bear Lake Montessori Zanewood Community School Brainerd Area Education Center Edgerton Elementary School Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School Kaleidoscope Charter School New Visions Academy

St. Paul N. St. Paul Oakdale St. Paul Houlton Montgomery St. Paul Staples Somerset Pine City Mendota Heights Oakdale Excelsior Vermillion Foley Roseville Minneapolis Minneapolis Minneapolis St. Paul Maplewood Duluth Bloomington Bloomington St. Paul Brooklyn Center White Bear Lake Brooklyn Park Brainerd Maplewood Minnetonka Otsego Minneapolis

1st attended 1995 1995 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999 1999 1999 1999 2000 2000 2000 2000 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2003 2003 2003 2003 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005

Teacher Spotlight - We asked some of our long-time teachers what their most memorable experiences here at the Center are

Matthew Hausman and Abe Hanson

Jessica Driscoll

Matt: “The year the great grey owls were abundant during the winter. I also will always remember the year the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night.”

Where do I begin? I have enjoyed so much throughout the years.

Chats by the fire with Mike Link, forming such remarkable and longlasting connections with the Audubon staff, having such interesting and enlightening conversation with the international interns, watching my students experience natural wonders for the first time, hearing my students say that they wish they could stay forever, witnessing the amazement in my students’ eyes as they released birds in the bird banding class, and of course the food . . . who could forget the food!

Falcon Heights Elementary School

Abe: “Night hikes with coyotes howling and the year we played beach volleyball one day in T-shirts and the next day had a huge snowstorm.” www.audubon-center.org

The dynamic duo: Teachers Matthew Hausman and Abe Hanson during one of their school’s visits to the Center

Odyssey Academy

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Meet Our New Staff Nick Damico:

Executive Chef... Nick was born and raised on St. Paul’s East Side and attended Hill Murray High School, where he was on the Hill Murray ski team. His first job in the restaurant industry was at a small local place in St. Paul called the Dinette (featured in Guy Fureti’s “Diners, Drive Inns and Dives”).

While attending Lake Superior College, Nick continued building his cooking expertise at Green Mill, Buena Vista and Pizza Lucci’s. He later than moved to Grand Marias and was employed at Lutsen Resort. In 2007, after moving to this area, he was Restaurant Manager at Wild Waters Sports Bar and Grill for 5 years before joining the Audubon Center of the North Woods. Nick has a passion for downhill skiing, is a certified ski instructor and has taught at Afton Alps, Spirit Mountain and Lutsen. He has a 5 year old son, Silas, who shares the same birthday as his Father. In his free time, Nick enjoys spending time with his son, camping, golf and of course skiing.

Wendy Iverson:

Reservations Coordinator... Her passions are many but the strongest resides in the animal kingdom although she steps in for the humans too! She has experience in raising and saving the usual domestic animals and many wild ones to include an African Lion named King, who now resides in his forever home at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. Ask her and she’ll tell you the stories. Wendy’s niche is feature writing and her interviewees often become a friend or connection for life. She has worn many hats throughout her life and has skills in small business ownership, sales, customer service, accounting, writing, cooking and the list goes on. She wears her heart on her sleeve and has earned her stripes in every facet of her eclectic background. Her little piece of heaven on earth is nestled on five wooded acres joyously shared with her husband, Jeff, daughter Tia, several cats, a dog and an array of wildlife. Elaina, her first daughter, and identical twin granddaughters recently moved to North Branch but Wendy still gets to see them often.

Betty Volk:

Cook... Betty is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and advocates for the welfare of women and children. She and her husband have a small hobby farm, where they enjoy their ‘farm family’ of two mammoth donkeys, a john mule, ducks, chickens and, last but not least, their Chesapeake Bay Retriever who rules the barnyard. Betty is the mother of 2 daughters and has 2 grandchildren. She enjoys her part-time cook position at the Center, which gives her time to still babysit her grandkids.

2012 MAEE Lifetime Achievement Recipient: Mike Link

Author, Educational Adventurer, Founding Director at the Audubon Center of the Northwoods

As the Founding Director of the Audubon Center of the North Woods for 38 years, Mike Link not only developed a successful residential environmental learning center but aided in the success of many other environmental education endeavors including starting over 15 Charter Schools that emphasized environmental education. He was an integral part of the teams that started degree programs in Outdoor and Environmental Education at both Northland College and Hamline University, and continues to teach numerous courses for Hamline’s Master’s Degree in Natural Science.

In the early 1970’s, Mike helped start the Minnesota Naturalist Association (MNA). He has been involved in many organizations including NAI, NAAEE, National Audubon Society Nature Center Group, American Camping Association, and MAEE. He has helped numerous organizations with strategic planning, fundraising, and training courses and was involved with the early planning of the International Wolf Center. An avid reader and writer, Mike has written over 1000 newspaper and magazine articles in addition to publishing over a dozen books including curriculum, text books, topics related to sense of place, environmental education, natural history, and the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.

Currently, Mike serves on the Minnesota Coastal Management Council as he and his wife, Kate Crowley, recently completed a walk around Lake Superior, raising awareness of water related issues. He and Kate are currently involved in another education adventure, Full Length Mississippi – boating, walking and biking the entire length of the Mississippi River – to help others learn from their journey about this magnificent water resource!

MAEE is proud to honor Mike Link as the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Environmental Education Award. He has exemplified leadership in the field in environmental education throughout his entire career and continues to serve with passion teaching about the natural world around us. www.audubon-center.org

Award to our founding director, Mike Link who served as Director at the Center for over 38 years. This year’s 2013 recipient is Douglas Wood, the singing naturalist for the Center during the 1980s, who also led a number of Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) trips for our organization. Both men are nationally recognized leaders in environmental education and we are incredibly fortunate that they have shared their gifts with us over the course of several decades.

MAEE’s choice for these two awards could not have gone to two more deserving individuals and it only reinforces what we at the Audubon Center already knew – that we hold ourselves to a standard higher than others. We have been handed a torch that we strive to carry high and continue on with the high standards that have been set for us. It is something we do not take lightly, and it drives us to continuously improve and become the best residential environmental learning center we can be.

Without further adieu, it is my honor to introduce to you the Minnesota Association for Environmental Education’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners Mike Link and Douglas Wood.

2013 MAEE Lifetime Achievement Recipient: Doug Wood Author, Musician, Environmental Educator, Wilderness Guide

Douglas Wood has been called “Minnesota’s renaissance man”. Author, artist, musician, naturalist, wilderness guide, he is the creator of thirty books for children and adults, with two and a half million copies sold. His first book, Old Turtle, was hailed as an instant classic, a “profound, lapidary work” that fused “simple eloquence with an elemental logic.” Translated widely, it has received many honors and awards, including the American Booksellers Book of the Year and the International Reading Association Book of the Year. Doug has been invited to read his books at the White House, and recently narrated a choral and symphonic setting of Old Turtle at New York’s famed Lincoln Center. In his books, frequent speaking engagements, and far-flung wilderness expeditions Mr. Wood continues to explore the relationship between the natural world and the human spirit.

Recipient of the International Reading Association “Book of the Year”, ABBY Award, Christopher Medal, Barnes and Noble Star of the North, and Storytelling World Award among others, Douglas Wood lives with his family in a log cabin in the pines by the Mississippi River. The Minnesota Association for Environmental Education (MAEE) is pleased to honor Doug Wood with the Lifetime Achievement in Environmental Education Award.

He has committed his entire career connecting people to the natural world using a variety of formats. He is a wonderful model to educators as he is full of passion, knowledge, and has a strong desire to share his love of nature! MAEE has been proud to also have him as a member, keynote speaker and performer at several past conferences.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Summer 2013

www.audubon-center.org

News from the North Woods

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Special Birding Dinners at the Lake u Friday, June 7, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. with Al Batt - ‘Bird Stories’ Al Batt – writer, speaker, storyteller and humorist extraordinaire– is familiar to many through his humor and nature columns in a number of newspapers as well as his nature radio shows. He has received many awards and recognitions in the birding world, including: birder of the year

by WildBird magazine, the National Eagle Center’s Hero Award, Bluebirds Across Nebraska award for outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation, and the Thomas Sadler Roberts Award by the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union

u Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. with Stan Tekiela - ‘Amazing Hummingbirds’ Stan Tekiela is a naturalist, author and wildlife photographer with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota. He has been a professional naturalist for more than 20 years and is a member of the Minnesota Naturalist Association, Minnesota Ornithologist Union, Outdoor Writers Association of America, North American Nature Photography Association and Canon Professional Services.

Early Bird reservations / Week of event reservations $20/$25 adult, $10/$15 child age 5-12 yrs

Reservations are required & space is limited, so reserve early!

888-404-7743 or audubon1@audubon-center.org

Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AudubonCenter

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News from the North Woods

Alumni News

Corrections from our last newsletter...a son, Enzo was born to former

Brasilian intern Charles Venturin and his wife Daniela; Brasilian intern Jacque Isoton and her husband had a baby girl. Congratulations were due to Roong Thompson on the birth of HER baby girl. Our apologies for those typos.

Congratulations to...

Summer 2013

Why Volunteer?

There are many benefits to volunteering your time and talents. You’ll meet new people, gain experience, build your skills and resume, while making a big difference to a non-profit like Audubon Center of the North Woods.

...former interns Elaine Thaines Bodah (Brasil) and Brian Bodah (US) who had a baby girl Anna in January.

Not only that, but you will also get to know us better and be able to enjoy the beautiful lakeside surroundings here at the Center.

...to former intern and ACNW Co-Director Katie Bloome and her husband, Rigel, on the birth of their son Will in January.

General Volunteer Opportunities

If you are an alumni and have some news to share about your life, please send an email to us at fenner@audubon-center.org – we’d love to share the info with our readers.

Did you know?

Female mosquitoes can beat their wings up to 500 times per second...buzz, buzz, buzz

With our abundant thanks and best wishes, we send off our current interns onto new paths in life Jess Mack: “Over the summer I have a few summer jobs if I choose to do those but hopefully I won’t have to do those. I would like to travel over the summer. After that I am going to the University of Rhode Island for the next 2 years for a masters in conservation biology. That’s about it :)”

Megan Cook: “I will be staying on for a second year at ACNW as the Wildlife Apprentice and am

very excited!”

Noel Cockney: “My plan for the summer is leading a 4-week backpacking trip in Wyoming for

NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) for inner-city college students, as well as a 2-week backpacking and rock climbing trip in Seattle, WA. As for the fall, I am waiting to hear back from a few more NOLS opportunities, and heading back home to Canada to visit my family. Next spring I will be taking 6 months to hike the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) which stretches from the Mexico/USA border to the Canada/USA border!”

Anna Keenan: “After leaving the Audubon Center in June, I will be working as a Summer Naturalist at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, MN. In August, I will be enrolled at Vermilion Community College in Ely, MN. While there, I will be working towards my Associate’s in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. In the summer of 2014, I hope to begin working seasonally for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as a field naturalist/wildlife technician. My over-all goals are to advance my knowledge of the field on a more scientific level while continuing to pursue my passion of environmental education.”

Troy Douglas: “The ever changing adventure of life continues as I will be stepping into the Intern Coordinator position, when Jessica Harguth heads off to get married in June! As it is a bitter sweet to witness a great friend leaving the Center for her next exciting journey, I am honored to follow her foundation and continue accelerating the intern staff experience. Finally, not forgetting to mention, I will continue with my positive teasing and endless fishing ;)”

Leeann Louis: “I will be attending UC Berkeley, to earn a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology. I will study how sunbirds (African/Asian hummingbirds) fly and how they survive at high altitudes. I plan to continue teaching at local nonprofits and hope to reach out to Oakland / San Francisco youth on the exciting world of science, the environment, and the outdoors.”

Autumn Henry: “I will continue on at ACNW through the summer and then I plan on moving back to my hometown of Salt Lake City, UT. The future is an exciting unknown possibility, but it most definitely will include birds (especially raptors), as they are my life’s passion!”

Chagh Xiong: “I am hoping to continue the wonderful world of environmental education at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton Georgia.” www.audubon-center.org

SPECIFIC- ongoing • IT assistance: on-call network troubleshooting, new server/network/workstation installations • Grant Research and Submission Assistance – search/research and apply for potential grant opportunities • Online Marketing Assistance - regular posting of events to online calendars, press release generation and distribution • Occasional Saturday front-desk and/or Dinner at the Lake host/hostess GENERAL HELP -ongoing • On-call teacher for EE programs • Belay climbers on climbing wall • Care of barn and wildlife • Transport orphaned/injured animals Buildings & Grounds - ongoing • Groom ski trails • Rake, weed whip, mow • Fill bird feeders • Cut/split firewood ON-SITE EVENTS • Kitchen assistance • Prep and clean up • Assist with Open House/Trail Run logistics

Adopt an Intern...

Whether home is an hour away or half the earth away, it is a treat for our interns to have a closer “family” to spend some time with. Though they have great meals, live next to the lake, and form a family with our staff, it is a welcome change to be off the Center grounds on occasion. If you are interested in matching up with one of our interns (meet them on page 8) for a home cooked meal, evening fish, relaxing at your house, puppy sitting for you, or whatever simple activity you like, then please let us know and we will send you their contact information. Call us at 320-245-2648 or email audubon1@audubon-center.org if interested. Thank you!

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Summer 2013

News from the North Woods

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Ways you can support the Audubon Center of the North Woods • Become a member • Friend a Wild Critter program donations • In-Kind donations - See our current ‘Wish Lists’ on page 4 for items we need.

• Memorial donations • Scholarship donations • ‘Give to the Max’ Day matching grants • Legacy gifts and IRA transfers

Thank You!

• Planned Giving and Bequests • Volunteer • Help us market our programs. If you have outlets where you can put up a flyer or share information on any of our programs, let us know. Participate in our programs, our special events, and our courses. Visit us, bring others and introduce your friends to us.

For more info on how you can help, visit the support page of our website or give us a call

We would like to acknowledge and thank all those individuals and companies who have contributed to the Audubon Center of the North Woods (since our last newsletter) as well as the schools who visited us this academic year. Through your support and patronage, we are able to provide the best environmental education opportunities for people of all ages.

Donations, Memberships & Memorials Osprey yy Minnesota Deer Hunters Association yy St. Paul Audubon Society yy Bryan & Kat Wood

Moose yy Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter

Loons yy Anonymous yy Bud Turner & Roberta Mistretta yy Melonie Shipman

Otters yy Kathy & Mel Aanerud yy Barbara Blechinger yy Peggy & Marty Carlson yy Anna Goyette yy Sanda Oslin yy Jan & Gene Sarenpa yy Marcia & Burt Sundquist yy Tri-State Drilling

Cranes yy Kathleen Aust yy Sue Breska yy Cliff & Betty Johnson yy Jon Gary & Laurie Larson yy Courtney Nagel yy Carol J Pederson yy Gina Pockrandt

Owls yy Lindsay & Brian Ashworth yy Tom Beer yy Kon & Jean Bergum yy Barbara Christensen yy Bette Christensen yy John & Beverly Dalsveen yy Mae DeNucci & Linda Wright yy Douglas Engie yy Peggy Farr yy Sylvia Faylor www.audubon-center.org

yy Doug & Diane Fink yy William G Foss yy Helen & William Friend yy Janet & John Green yy Karol Gresser yy Ruth Heckman yy Tom & Jodi Helseth yy Pat Koehler yy Karen M Larson yy Paul & Karen Larson yy Dennie & Nancy Liebelt yy Mary Matthews & Spencer Nelson yy Gary Moss yy Deb Pearson yy Randy Peterson yy Damien Poling yy Peter Pruett yy Patrick & Connie Ring yy Kathleen Rosenow yy Jo Ryker yy Fay Rylander yy Gina Shervheim yy Sue Sloper yy Betsy & Ed Souther yy Jessy & Bill Stenross yy Al & Louise Sterner yy Tim & Joyce Tabor yy Rachel & Tony Thoennes yy Sharon Wehner yy Judith Zimmerman

Friends yy David Engberg yy Gene Pugh yy Edward & Mary Sunde

In Memory of: In Memory of Rita Nelson

In Honor of: In Honor of Marty Carlson & Mary Knoblauch yy Kathy Knoblauch & Terry Ische

Grants yy The Allen Family Fund yy Jack and Clair Dempsey Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation yy Minnesota Community Foundation yy Minnesota Ornithological Union yy Caroline Vernon and Bruce Holcomb Fund

Friend a Wild Critter yy Trulie Bolton yy Dayle & Bonnie Declercq yy Lisa Jeanetta yy Sue & Tom Leaf yy Melonie Shipman yy Jennifer Weglarz yy Wild River Audubon Chapter

Employee Matching yy Bill Bruins/IBM Matching Grants yy Linda Marcott/General Mills Foundation yy Charles VonRueden/BNSF Railway Foundation

In-Kind yy Brett & Diane Arnold yy Richard Glattly yy Millers of Minnesota yy Linda Neubaur yy Sam & Diana Rankin yy Sparky Stensaas yy Al & Louise Sterner yy Venture Wealth Management yy Roberta Volk yy Wendy Webster yy Bryan & Kat Wood

yy Wayne & Patti Roberts In Memory of Denise Thompson

yy Lonnie & Jackie Ness

See the next page for member benefits ØØ 888-404-7743

Audubon Center of the North Woods A proud leader in environmental education and renewable energy P.O. Box 530, Sandstone, MN 55072 Phone: 888-404-7743 or 320-245-2648 Fax: 320-245-5272

If you would like to save resources and would prefer to receive this periodic newsletter electronically (PDF) via email instead of US mail, please send an email to audubon1@audubon-center.org

Email: audubon1@audubon-center.org

Visit our website! www.audubon-center.org News from the North Woods Volume 39, Issue 1—Summer 2013 Melonie Shipman and Bryan Wood, Co-Directors Laurie Fenner, editing/layout Published periodically by Audubon Center of the North Woods Mail, call or email us your inquiries and ideas.

Printed with soy-based inks on carbon-neutral paper containing 100% post-consumer waste

Join Us...Become a Friend to the Audubon Center Friendship Categories OWLS

By becoming a member of the Audubon Center of the North Woods, you provide the essential support we need to continue to provide quality environmental educations to thousands of people every year.

$25-49

MOOSE

$500-$749

CRANES $50-99

EAGLES $750-$999

OTTERS $100-249

OSPREY $1000+

LOONS $250-$499

PLANNED $2,500+ GIVING

All Members receive: l 10% discount off merchandise in our store* l 10% off youth and family camps l 10% off Schwyzer Lodge l A gift membership to give to a friend l Our periodic printed newsletter l Our e-newsletter (optional) l Invitations to special events

Membership Benefits ØØ

* New members also receive a $10 gift certificate to use in our Nature Store

l Members at the Loon level and above also receive one or more Audubon Center signature items

ACNW MISSION

To instill a connection and commitment to the environment in people of all communities through experiential learning.