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Winter 2011 [0.6 MB]

A Federal Park: Not Easy for Any Community
From Ernest C. Oberholter
Francis Lee Jacques: Wilderness Artist
Dear Readers, by Beth Waterhouse
Centennial Year Ahead
Mallard Summer 2011
Voyageurs Park Employees Visit Mallard
A Word from the Treasurer, by Tim Heinle
Twelfth Annual Oberholtzer Fall Gathering, October 29

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Other Current News

Announcing, Summer 2011 Schedule!

Consider a week on Mallard Island as a great Holiday or New Years gift to yourself or for a friend. See "Program" / "Current Programs" for a listing of what will be offered this coming summer -- 2011. Week by week, we expect an exciting summer with several ways to be present to the island, animal life, Oberholtzer history, books and archives on Mallard.

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Mallard Island Loon Hatches Successfully in June

Just a few weeks after ice-out, someone noticed that there was a loon nest on Mallard Island this year, not far from the stone steps down to the swimming beach. Don Maronde, who was caretaking that first work week, asked people to be very quiet near there and installed a "loon nesting site" sign on the trail. Shortly after seeing the nest, folks noticed that where there were two eggs, now there was only one. The loons grew fairly neutral about our quiet comings and goings down that trail to Japanese House. Each week of program people watched it closely and hoped (prayed, meditated, sang...) for a successful hatch.

Finally, on the windy Sunday morning of June 19, Jim Fitzpatrick thought that the loon looked a little ajar and fluffed up on her nest. He even related that he had heard a special call the night before. The next morning, a Mallard artist and photographer, Margie Weaver, reported spying a baby loon. Below, you'll see one of Margie's photographs.

Since that time, the loon chick has become everybody's baby, and island goers report back and forth about it -- is it still there, is it threatened by the eagle overhead, is it healthy and is it learning to fish? For the first week or so, the mama loon let it swim up inside her open wing and climb onto her back. She raised her wing shoulders and created the greatest little cradle. This behavior, of course, will protect the young from predators under the water! A certain call helps protect the young from the sky. At first the papa loon feeds both mother and chick, knowing that neither will dive. Later on, both parent birds dive and the little one will hustle toward whichever one comes to the surface first. Lately, we hear that the parent birds are teaching the chick to dive.

One amazing fact about loons is that after a whole summer of protecting and teaching their young, they abandon it and fly south. The young might then coalesce with others of the same generation and, depending entirely upon their DNA, they also fly south. They spend a full two years in the south before maturing enough to return to the northland to find a mate and reproduce. We're happy to be part of the life cycle of this little chick. For more information, try what was gathered by the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at
< http://www.mercerwi.com/loons.htm >.

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Hydro Development Threatens Sturgeon in Border Wilderness

Proposals are underway to build a series of hydroelectric dams along the Namakan River in Northwestern Ontario, a critical link between Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota and Quetico Park in Ontario. The falls at risk are the highest and the river the largest remaining undammed in the region, and its free-flowing waters provide habitat for the strongest population of Lake Sturgeon in the continent.

Our organization opposes the proposed development which threatens an internationally renowned wilderness area, the Namakan River ecosystem, the ecological integrity of the adjacent parks, species at risk such as the endangered Lake Sturgeon, and the historic Quetico-Superior canoe route
network.

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Thinking of a Week on Mallard in 2011?

There are three main ways to visit Mallard Island if you’re interested next summer: a spring work week (no cost except your labor), a “hosted” summer week such as an already-formed and pre-designed group, and a program week that is “open,” such as the individual artists’ week or birding week.*

Each late autumn, the Oberholtzer Foundation accepts applications from prospective hosts for weeks on Mallard. For 2011, there are four weeks open in the rotation, and host applications are being accepted up to the deadline of November 15, 2010. Shortly thereafter, a program committee of the Board of Directors will review the applications and strive to craft a summer 2011 schedule with program and emphasis balance. (See criteria on the Program Guidelines page, this web site.) Request a form and then mail or email your application to Beth Waterhouse. < beth@bethwaterhouse.com >

For 2011, there will again be a wooden flute workshop (July 31 to August 6) and there will be a bird week in early June and an individual artists’ week, likely in August. These three weeks are open to individuals who want those experiences up on Mallard. You do need to apply—again contact Beth or see “Programs” on this web site for an application.

We are excited to hear so many of you out there thinking of ways to spend time creatively or in an area of study on Mallard Island. The tiny 1100-foot long spine of rock works its magic each summer season to bring people together and to offer its gifts of solitude, wildlife, garden beauty or big wind on Rainy Lake. Six days spent on Mallard Island continues, in its own small way, to change people’s lives.

* Mallard Island Program weeks cost $200 per person per week, plus shared food. After five years, the 2011 program fee shows an increase. Scholarships are available.

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Executive Director Beth Waterhouse publishes "An Intimate Point of View"

An article about Ober, photographing moose, and Ober's legacy, in Conservation Minnesota at http://conservationminnesota.org/news/?id=5133

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Frigate Friday donated to the Foundation

On September 6, 2009, the Oberholtzer Foundation Board of Directors voted to accept the donation of the Frigate Friday, a houseboat once owned by Ober and his home on Bancroft Bay, for many years. The Frigate Friday has been recently used by Ted Hall and later his son, Thomas Hall, both of Ranier, Minn., and Thomas chose this summer to donate it to the Foundation. Said Thomas, “I cannot speak for the departed, but I think Ted would be very pleased.” The Foundation now has taken on the maintenance and renovation of this craft, floating on huge, steel tanks and positioned in an exquisite cove on Gull Island. During 2010, the main focus will be renovation of the decking and the boat’s exterior and windows. After that, the Board of Directors will bring it into careful use in a way that blends with and enhances the busy summer programs on Mallard Island. Beth Waterhouse adds, “It is strange, now, to drive the pontoon past this houseboat and think of it as ‘ours.’ It is both a challenge and a great joy to think about adding some good use of the Frigate into our summer programs.”

Frigate Friday

New DVD on Mallard Island now available.

This is a short and beautiful DVD-video production (5:35 minutes) that takes a viewer through a June week on Mallard Island, Ernest Oberholtzer's former home on Rainy Lake. Other than Barbara's lyrics to the music, this video is without narration. Mark Stanley's beautiful images do much to capture the color, form, and texture of room interiors and building exteriors on the island as well as the natural flora, rocks, and water of one summer week.

The DVD has recently been duplicated and made available for $10 (plus $2 shipping) from the Ernest C. Oberholtzer Foundation. See the Store/Donations page for purchase information.

Mallard Island 2008 Photo Note-cards

How can we capture and share beautiful images of our favorite island with more people?

This past summer an idea was “born” to create photo note-cards. We now have thirty exciting images of Mallard and its buildings, flowers, waters and landscape. Each blank card is handmade and features a 4x6 photo matted inside natural (and recycled) cardstock. The photographer is identified on the back of each card. We will send you five cards in assorted images for $15, plus $2 for shipping, $17 total cost.

Call Beth Waterhouse at (952) 401-0591 to receive a shipment of cards. These cards would make a great gift item!