Second Tern volunteer profile: Susan Ertsgaard
Gearing up for a busy summer By Bob Grossfeld, Observatory Manger The Oregon Observatory staff finds ourselves moving quickly towards summer. May is here, and we are ready. May will be a wonderful month for watching the jewel of the night, Saturn, as it continues to rise in the east. April views of Jupiter were amazing, so views of both planets should be awesome. Much of the summer sky returns in May and we are excited to have some of our deep sky objects come back into view. Don’t forget the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which peaks May 6, with upwards of 30 meteors per hour. We will be open Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for solar viewing, and Wednesday and Saturday from 9-11 p.m. during the month of May, so come by, say “hi” and have a look. May will be an interesting month as staff puts the finishing touches on exhibits and gets ready for the summer season ahead. We are remodeling one of the meteorite cases in the nature center to show information on the Russian meteorite that made news; a new informational display on the New Horizons mission to Pluto, and much more. We have also started working on updates to current equipment, better
lighting for the observatory, and updates to the dome exhibits. In addition, we are planning our summer programs. May is a steppingstone to summer, and we look forward to seeing new and familiar faces enjoying the observatory. As I look around the nature center and observatory, I am reminded of the generosity of people with their donations to our organization. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of money and time that so many people have contributed to our mission. Every weekend, volunteers work endless hours at the Second Tern Thrift Store or here at the nature center and observatory. A huge effort from everyone makes it possible to operate, and gives us the ability to share the Universe from right here in Sunriver. Oregon Observatory staff extends thanks to all of who have supported us over the years.
What do six kids from Norway, Keiko the Orca whale, married couples leafing through their wedding photos, and the Second Tern Thrift Store have in common? Susan Ertsgaard. Ertsgaard leads a most interesting life. She coordinated a program that brings high school students to the U.S. for a year, and has hosted some of them in her home. She is a photographer who at one time worked with the Keiko Foundation and the Oregon Marine Mammal Institute, and has recorded numerous weddings. When you visit the attractive boutique section at the Second Tern you may well meet Ertsgaard, who puts that display together, if she’s not off to Norway with her daughter to visit the home of their ancestors. So how did someone with such an interesting and varied background come to the Sunriver area? Ertsgaard says her acquaintance with the Sunriver area began when she was growing up and her family spent time in central and eastern Oregon. “I loved it over here, even though I grew up on the coast. I loved the climate, the snow, and just being in the mountains. So when it came time to retire, we bought a place in Sunriver in the late nineties, and moved here when we sold our house on the coast. “Every time we’d come over here to visit, I’d visit The Second Tern, it was my favorite thrift store. I love thrift stores.
I love to shop, and I love to repurpose and recycle, so The Tern was very attractive. When I moved here, I thought why not volunteer? I love being here, so why not work here?” Ertsgaard said her connection to the Tern was probably influenced by her experience living for 11 years in a small Quaker community in rural British Columbia. “It was a remote area and they were very good stewards of the land. We did a lot of gardening, and you couldn’t just go into town and buy things. You had to make them or reuse them. I learned about recycling. It was a great place to come of age.” “I went to school and studied photography and I’ve pretty much worked as a photographer for the rest of my life. When I moved back to Oregon I worked for many years for newspapers on the coast, and I had my own business doing wedding and portrait photography. I also worked for the Keiko Foundation. I was an administrative assistant but I also did a lot of photography for them.” Keiko the Orca we saw in the movie Free Willie? The Orca that was captured in Iceland in 1979, sold to companies who had him performing in shows until he became ill in
captivity and was eventually acquired by the Oregon Coast Aquarium which received $7 million to construct a facility to get him healthy, was shipped to Iceland, released into the ocean where he traveled to Norway, liked to hang out with people more than Orcas, gave kids rides on his back, and died in 2003? Yes, that Keiko, and the experience had a profound effect on Ertsgaard. “That started my love of marine mammals and it’s been my other passion. I love to photograph people but I love to do nature too. I’ve traveled with the Oregon State Marine Mammal Institute and taken pictures of grey whales in their birthing lagoons, and that was a pretty awesome thing to do.” So how does one move between Orcas, wildlife and weddings? Ertsgaard said there is a connection: “They’re happy experiences but not nearly similar. After the intense and amazing experience of working with Orcas, I just couldn’t go back to a desk or working a 9-5 job, so I started my photography business, where at least I was my own boss.” Ertsgaard focuses on outdoor weddings, which are popular in Central Oregon. “It’s not in a church where there’s often a lot Turn to Profile, page 10
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earthworms, they are rarely observed. After metamorphizing into adults, they can reach lengths of nearly a meter and are parasitic, sucking body fluids from other fishes, but providing numerous beneficial ecological services within their habitat. The lecture is free, but you must register online at http:// osucascades.edu/science-pubs Food and beverage will be available for sale from SHARC. The event is co-sponsored by Sunriver Nature Center and Sunriver Owners Association. SUNRIVER SCENE • MAY 2015
www.sunriverowners.org
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