Special Donor Issue - University of Minnesota, Crookston

Still for the Birds, After All These Years!Earlier this winter, UMCChancellor Charles H. Casey,Interim Vice Chancellor forStudent Affairs Pam Holsinger-Fuchs,and natural resources students gavethe “feathered folks” at UMC a boostby filling the “Nature Nook” birdfeeder. Interestingly enough, it is thesame bird feeder that was inauguratedin 1974. It was originally built byBill McWaters, campus carpenter,and painted by the ConservationClub but has gone through a coupleof face lifts and repairs since then.The Provost at that time was StanleySahlstrom, shown filling the feeder in1974. In the original article in theFebruary 14, 1974 issue of the UMCCommentator, Sahlstrom noted, “Ouravian friends are a very important part ofthe total environment and this is dedicatedin the hope that all of us will develop abetter appreciation of the total environmentin which we live.” Two of the studentspresent at the initial dedication havecertainly gone on to appreciate andimprove the environment. MikeKovacovich is the current manager ofItasca State Park, the crown jewel ofMinnesota’s state parks. David Thom, isnow the Resources and Planning StaffOfficer of the Black Hills National Forestin South Dakota.Originally the bird feeder was in thesunken garden in front of what is now theSahlstrom Conference Center but is nowlocated in the Nature Nook wildlife developmentarea between Owen and HillHalls. Nature Nook is a joint project ofUMC’s Student Chapter of The WildlifeSociety, advised by John Loegering, andthe Natural Resources Club (formerlyConservation Club) advised by Phil Baird.Club members secured $2,000 in grantfunds from the Minnesota Chapter of TheWildlife Society and the Rocky MountainElk Foundation to develop Nature Nook.When completed it will host a micro-cosmof Minnesota’s 3 biomes – DeciduousForest, Coniferous Forest, and TallgrassPrairie. So far a number of trees andshrubs have been moved in with a treespade to complement a butterfly garden,raingarden, and wildlife tree. The raingardenis a depressionplanted to nativeaquatic plants tocatch and purifyrunoff water fromthe buildings.Other possibilitiesinclude a smallpeat bog and watergarden with asmall waterfall.So far, theNature Nook areahas attracted manyfall migrant birdsand the feederdaily hosts a number of house sparrowsand up to 4 gray squirrels. “The feederreally adds a lot of interest to students asthey walk down the hallways on 2 levelsand can note the activity,” according toNate Emery, former Student Chapter ofThe Wildlife Society President and UMC’s2005 Man of the Year. Emery authored thegrant applications to obtain start-up fundsfor Nature Nook. The club will be developinginterpretive placards in the hallwaysto identify feeder visitors and explaininteresting natural history notes. ✦Chancellor Casey fillingthe feeder- 2005.From left; NaturalResources ClubPresident – JenniferTepovich, HeathEstey, Michael Hill,Tamara Saxton,Amanda Williams,Casey, PamHolsinger-Fuchs,Melissa Lance,AlishaFlemming, andRichard Rice.Provost Sahlstromfilling the feeder –1974. From left,Michael Kovacovich,Robert Pollock,Sahlstrom, DavidThom, Jeff Becker,Unidentified, andDoug Albin.11