The View From

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Listening PointNEWSLETTER Listening Point Foundation, Inc.

V O L U M E I X , N U M B E R 2 ~ F A L L 2 0 0 7

By Mark NeuzilLike just about every other

9-year-old boy in rural Americain the 1960s, I received aCrosman BB gun as a Christmasgift. That present sent me downthe trail of a lifetime of hunting,although I don’t rememberkilling a living thing with it. Idid fire at a mouse once, while Iwas walking in a stand of tallcorn as the grown-ups wereshooting pheasants, but it wasan excuse-me shot and did noharm.

When I got to be 11, my dadtook me down to the river bottomand taught me how to shoot his 20-gauge shotgun, a WinchesterModel 12. That was my ticket to the big-time, hunting pheasantsin southeast Iowa with dad and Uncle Jerry and occasionallysome of their buddies. Because none of us owned a dog, the dog’sjob fell to me. I walked through and often under some of thethickest brush and beat-down corn a person could imagine,flushing birds left and right.

One shooting sports association states that each hunterspends $1,896 annually on hunting. Even adjusting for inflation,somebody else was spending a heck of lot more money than wedid. Not counting the gasoline in the old Jeep, our huntingpurchases included a bag of doughnuts (eaten on the ride to thefarm), a box of Fanny Farmer chocolates (for the farmer’s wife)and a few paper shotgun shells, most of which were older than Iwas.

The farmer, who was Mennonite and didn’t hunt, paid us $1for each pheasant hide; he gave his wife the feathers for hats andpillows. It seems possible that some years we made a profit on ahunting trip, although possibly not, what with the lousy gasmileage from the Jeep.

None of us had heard the term “environmentalist” back then.Today, scholars would probably call us “natural resourceconservationists.” We were not that much different from proto-environmentalists like Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson or HoraceKephart, all of whom liked to wet a line or fill a snow goose full

of holes every once in a while.Somewhere along the way,

natural resourceconservationists began evolvinginto environmentalists. Butmany of them did not expandtheir interests beyond parks,fish and wildlife, while someenvironmentalists came notfrom a natural resourcesbackground but from thefeminist, anti-war or anti-nuclear movements. Many ofthese new recruits had neverfired a Crosman BB gun, muchless a 20-gauge Winchester.

Those diverse histories are partof the source of the problem among lovers of the outdoors that wesee today.

In parts of the county, including Appalachia, the word“environmentalist” became an epithet, or at least a mild rebuke.In other areas, hunting seemed an anachronistic form of sociallysanctioned violence. Blaze orange and green became oppositecolors in the ecological spectrum.

The dispute has roots in an urban-rural divide almost as oldas the country. Environmentalists (or at least their organizations)tend to come from the city, while hunters and other outdoorsmenoften wear boots at work as well as in the sporting field. Huntinghas deep roots in Appalachian history, as it has in the narratives ofall rural or formerly rural areas of the United States. Two-thirdsof Southern hunters come from small communities or farms.Skills are passed on from parent to child as folk knowledge; gunsare family heirlooms, like old guitars or sewing machines.

The greatest source of conflict, in my mind, is based oneconomics as well as geography. While the environmentalmovement gained power in the 1970s, the country went through aseries of agonizing recessions that left many rural communitiesand family farms devastated. Some did not recover. Faced with aHobson’s choice of economic growth or environmentalprotection, locals chose the economic answer nearly every time.What often followed was a lawsuit, a protester chained to a tree,

Continued on page 5

Blaze Orange and Green: Opposite Colors

Listening Point Foundation, Inc.

P.O. Box 180Ely, Minnesota 55731

NOT FOR PROFITU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 12

Hayward, WI 54843

Published byThe Listening Point Foundation, Inc.P.O. Box 180Ely, Minnesota 55731Telephone: 218/365-7890FAX: 218/365-7072Website: www.listeningpointfoundation.orgE-mail: listeningpoint@cpinternet.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORAlanna Johnson

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Timothy J. Rudnicki, ChairCharles Wick, Vice ChairNancy Jo Tubbs, SecretaryRobert K. Olson, President EmeritusYvonne O. Olson, Secretary EmeritusDr. Kenneth Bro Daryl PetersonJon Helminiak Dr. Mark PetersonMartin Kellogg Bryan WoodPaul O. Monson Douglas Wood

NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

Paul Anderson Bloomington, MNDr. David Backes S. Milwaukee, WIJohn “Jeb” Barzen Spring Green, WIJim Brandenburg Ely, MNRay Christensen Bloomington, MNEsther Kellogg St. Paul, MNMike Link Willow River, MNVance G. Martin Ojai, CAMalcolm McLean St. Paul, MNDr. Michael Nelson Moscow, IDSigurd T. Olson Juneau, AKKevin Proescholdt St. Paul, MNClayton Russell Ashland, WITim Sundquist Duluth, MNRobert Treuer Bemidji, MNSteve Waddell Bellbrook, OHDave Zentner Duluth, MN

Visit us online!www.listeningpointfoundation.org

INTERNATIONAL AND SENIORBOARD OF ADVISORSDr. Anne LaBastilleAuthor/EcologistWestport, NYDr. Ian PlayerFounder/President, The Wilderness FoundationDurban, Republic of South AfricaFranco ZuninoFounder/Director GeneralAssociazione Italiana WildernessMurialdo (SV), Italy

Produced and printed by Advance Printing,15576 US Hwy 63, Hayward, WI 54843;phone 715/634-6888; fax 715/634-6912;advprint@cheqnet.net

Editor: Laurence J. WilandProduction: Debra Kurtzweil

Materials in the newsletter may be reproducedwith attribution to the author, the newsletter,and the Foundation. We welcome readers’letters, comments and suggestions.

THE VIEW FROM LISTENING POINT — FALL 2007

The View From Listening Point

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Robert and Vonnie Olson have given us another reason tocelebrate: 2008 marks the 10th year of operation for the ListeningPoint Foundation. The Listening Point Foundation works to

preserve the natural andhistorical integrity ofListening Point on BurntsideLake. It also works toprovide education in theideas and values ofwilderness as exemplified bythe life and works of SigurdF. Olson.

For Sigurd F.Olson, one of the greatenvironmental leaders andwriters of the 20th Century,Listening Point was atouchstone. Then, just asnow, it provides intellectualand spiritual refreshment

and inspiration for those who experience the totality of the Point.Thanks to Robert and Vonnie and the Listening Point FoundationBoard of Directors, National Advisory Board, International andSenior Board of Advisors and its Executive Director, many

people continue to draw inspiration from Listening Point.The Listening Point Foundation has some weighty

responsibilities given the significance of the Point, includingSigurd’s cabin. In particular, the Listening Point Foundation ischarged with maintaining Listening Point as a place for thought,study, and contemplation (as it was for Sigurd F. Olson), for thepleasure, education and inspiration of future generations. Givensome of the pressing environmental issues of our time, and theneed to continually educate and inspire ourselves to respond tothe challenges, we will continue to work with you to ensure thenatural and historical integrity of Listening Point is preserved forpresent and future generations.

Over the coming months the Listening Point Foundation willprovide you with more information about 2008 celebrationevents. The Foundation will also be providing you withinformation about the April luncheon, status of the NationalRegister of Historic Places application, and the launch of theendowment campaign to ensure the preservation of the naturaland historical integrity of Listening Point.

The Board and its Executive Director look forward to yourcontinued interest and participation in efforts to advance the workof Sigurd F. Olson. Your comments, questions and participationare greatly appreciated.

—Tim Rudnicki

F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N ’ S D E S K

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Letter from the Chair

InsideStories of Sig 3Membership Form 3Book Review 4A Listening Point Experience 6Gift Shop 6Donors 7

By Robert K. OlsonVonnie and I wish to thank all for the

special honor and many kind commentsabout us in thelast newsletter.They are mucha p p r e c i a t e dand acceptedwith all duepleasure andmodesty. As itsays in theB i b l e

(Proverbs 15:33) “Before honor ishumility.”

But we are also grateful for theopportunity it gives us to respond in kindto honor the original members of the boardand the charter members of theFoundation and their successors for theirsplendid support for the idea of the

Listening Point Foundation. Indeed, we have been surprised not to

say gratified by the enthusiastic andgenuine devotion and pleasure expressedby so many for the preservation ofListening Point and for reviving thewilderness message of Sigurd Olson.

We members of the original board canjustly take credit for actually launching theFoundation but only as facilitators. For weonly coaxed a spark into life. But it hasbeen the heartfelt response of thousandsthat has nursed the spark into a brightflame with a life of its own which, wepray, will be a permanent living flame ofremembrance and inspiration for futuregenerations.

We would like to suggest, therefore,that this coming year 2008, the 10thanniversary of the Listening PointFoundation, should become a special year

to honor those who have fed the flame andtransformed the Foundation from an idea,a thought, an aspiration, into a permanent,self sustaining beacon for the wilderness.

Sig would have been proud andgrateful.

Speaking of Honors

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DONORS

Fall 2007

Thank you to our most recent donors, listed below.

Tom Ajax & Jan McElfishDouglas & Phyllis AmdahlKeith & Anita AndersonJim & Kathy Antilla,

in memory of Ted OjalaDonna ArbaughArtists to WatchTerry & Beth ArtmannClint & Pepper AscheHolly AtkinsonJulie AtkinsonBruce & June BakerElaine Clyborne BarberTim BarzanJoanne BecklundBill Berg,

in memory of Sigurd OlsonFrances BlacklockJim & Judy BrandenburgBrandenburg GalleryHeidi BrandenburgAlan & Nicole BrewKenneth Bro & Becky BrownPatricia BrownePam BrunfeltTodd & Stephanie Burras,

in memory of Bob CaryCaring Family S.C.Jim & Jan Call,

in memory of Sharon KastelicMerrily CarlsonWilliam A. CarlsonRay ChristensenThomas & Susan ChristiansenLee ColemanDr. Tom ConnellJack & Sue CornwellAnne CowieElizabeth CowieJerry & Lynn CoxJill CraftonH.S. CrosbySheldon & Carol DambergBlake & Sandra DavisWilliam DavisAl DeRuyter & Linda K. PetersonMr. & Mrs. William DirksDan & Nancy Young DixonThomas M. DoreRuth S. DonhoweSue Duffy & Linda GanisterBarbara DunsmoreLaverne DunsmoreThomas & Helen DwightJack & Jane EdsonLarry & Wendy EhnertBarbara EllisonPeder EngebretsonShirley Fox,

in honor of Dennis Fox

John FosterDirk Fucik,

in memory of Mark W. FucikWilliam Fucik

in memory of Mark W. FucikGeorge & Andrea GaraLynn GlesneRichard & Sheryl GlisinskiPeter Gove

in honor of Chuck WickRoderick & Maryann GrantKevin & Diane GrasleyJake & Ruth GravesRachel & Timorthy GustinRon & Beth Haakensen,

in memory of Russ MooreKaren Halbersleben & Jack MillerSteve & Barb Hall,

in memory of Bob CaryJames HartWilliam HeartFrances Heinselman,

in memory of Amos StoleeRussell & Barbara Heinselman,

in memory of Amos StoleeJon HelminiakRobert & Susan HengefeltDavid HenningKimberly HillerRon “Hobsie” HobartSteven HollenhorstMary HolmesMelvin & Alta HougenM. ImsdahlInternational Wolf CenterLois JacobiDon Johanning,

in memory of the Great Mr. “O”Richard JorgensenBalsy KasiJeanne KelloggMartin and Esther KelloggMr. & Mrs. Charles A. KellyJohn & Teresa KendrickVaughn & Joyce KnappJanet Kortuem & Peter NordChristine KuehnRoberta Kuehn,

in memory of Raymond KuehnDr. Anne LaBastilleEllie & Dick LarmouthBob LarsonGary & Paula LarsonLaurie & Jim LatimerLinda LemkeScott & Carla LeonardWayne LewisMike & Marci LienArmin “Whitey” & Virginia LuehersLuther College

Rory MacKayDeb Magnuson

in honor of Jack MagnusonRobert & Marveen MinishBetty MagnusonGary & Paul MathenaDr. & Mrs. Charles H. Mayo IIMalcolm & Wendy McLeanBill & Sally MeadowsCurt MeineKate & Pat MillerSharon MischkePaul MonsonRoberta Moore,

in honor of all wild places and those who listen…

Milo M. MoyanoDonald & Rita MynttiC. Roger & Lavonne NelsonDarby & Geri NelsonMike Nelson & Heather VarcoNorthland CollegeJon & Cheryl NygaardOberholtzer FoundationCaorlyn O’Grady & Jim BonillaAlis & Byron OlsenDerek OlsonRobert & Yvonne OlsonRichard C. OlsonDennis & Turid OrmsethRandall & Kathleen PachalDoreen PackilaJohn & Charlotte ParishRobert Rue ParsonageLuke PattersonSusan PekarekShirley PerkinsTerrence PetersMark & Erica PetersonDavid & Jane PiepgrasPiragis Northwoods CompanySteve & Nancy PiragisPomeroy Family FoundationChris PranskatisKevin ProescholdtPrudential Matching Gifts ProgramPurdhamThe Question ClubLinda RamsdenJohn RejmanDr. Don E. RichardBill & Lauren RitchieJeff & Sharon RomeHoward & Mary RonningChuck RoseG.M. RossiTimothy RudnickiClayton RussellDon & Lavonne RuudThomas & Judith Saeger

Stephen SandellPatricia SanderDarryl & Diane SannesMarjorie SanziAndy Schaedel & Sue Sanzi-SchaedelJohn W. SaxhaugRev. Dave SchneiderCarol SchofieldLeif Selkregg & Laura MynttiJim ShackelfordKathy Shaw & Larry LaBontéJames W. ShepardGary ShermanMr. & Mrs. SinclairParry & Laurie SmithGerry & Nan SnyderSteve SorensonSpiritwood Music of the

Boundary WatersJohn StatonBrian & Susan StedmanMilt StenlundAllen & Ann StoleeMarilee StorestTim & Carolyn SundquistDonna & Pat SurfaceBarton SutterDarlene J. SwansonHelen Swem,

in memory of Ted Swem, LPF Advisory Board member

Ed & Gloria SzymanskiBill TefftDiane TessariNed Therrien,

in memory of Russell MooreElaine ThruneJohn R. TopczewskiJon TraverRobert TreuerThe Trust for Public LandsBill & Louise TryggNancy jo TubbsAndrew & Elizabeth Urban,

in honor of the KnappsVermilion Community CollegeBarbara H. VinsonJohn & Donna VirrDerrick & Mary VocelkaJim & Dawn VoegeliJae & Marilee WandkeWilliam K. WangThomas & Lynette WardNigel & Jane WattrusRichard & Audrey WebbDavid & Marjorie WhiteChuck & Marty WickFred & Eleanor WinstonDouglas WoodBob, Marion & Linda Woodbury

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The View From Listening Point

Gift Shop

Name: _________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

City/State/ZIP: ___________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________________________________________________

Story of Listening Point booklet ............................ _____ @ $ 5.00 = _______Sigurd Olson paperback books ............................. _____ @ $15.00 = _______

specify title(s): ______________________________________________________________________________________

Wilderness World video ........................................ _____ @ $15.00 = _______Wilderness World DVD ........................................ _____ @ $15.00 = _______A Spiritual Field Guide book ................................. _____ @ $13.00 = _______Brandenburg cards ............................................... _____ @ $20.00 = _______Solitary Shores audio CD ...................................... _____ @ $18.00 = _______Shipping/Handling ($2.00 for each item) .............. _____ @ $ 2.00 = _______

ORDER TOTAL: ___________Please send order form and your check to Listening Point Foundation (LPF), to:

Listening Point Foundation, Inc.P.O. Box 180Ely, Minnesota 55731

Brandenburg Cards

Listening Point at winter’send, captured byphotographer JimBrandenburg and featuring aquote from Sigurd Olson.Set of 10 full-color notecards with envelopes.

.................... $20

The Story of Listening Point

This 28-page booklet,written by Sig’s sonRobert K. Olson, tellsthe inside story of howListening Point cameto be and why, what itmeant to Sigurd Olson,and what it continuesto mean to wildernesslovers and loyalists.Features dozens ofhistorical photos andimages.

............................. $5

The WildernessWorld of SigurdF. Olson Video

This intimate filmcaptures the life andspirit of SigurdOlson late in hislife. VHS format,30 minutes long.

..................... $15

Share the spirit of Listening Point with friends and family with one of these gift items thatcelebrate Sigurd Olson and Listening Point.

Liste

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Orders also may be placed by email (tolisteningpoint@cpinternet.com) or fax (to218/365-7072). Invoices will be includedwith your shipped order.

A Spiritual FieldGuide

This 192-page softcoverbook contains passagesfrom a wide variety ofwriters, activists andothers (includingSigurd F. Olson) whohave thought long anddeeply about themeaning and value ofnature and wilderness.A perfect tripcompanion.

....................... $13

Solitary Shores CD

First recorded in 1983,Solitary Shores wasDouglas Wood’smusical tribute toSigurd Olson. All ofthe songs have a strongNorth Country flavor,and there is even asegment of Sig readingfrom one of his ownessays. This is an albumfor lovers of theNorthwoods and fansof Sig Olson.

............................. $18

Sigurd Olson Classics

Attractive paperback versionsof seven of Sigurd Olson’smost loved books.

The Singing WildernessListening PointThe Lonely LandRunes of the North Open HorizonsReflections from the NorthCountryOf Time and Place

..................... $15 each

The Wilderness World of SigurdF. Olson DVD

A digitally remastered version of theclassic film “The Wilderness World ofSigurd F. Olson” includes more thantwo hours of conversations with Sig ashe speaks about the craft of writing andlife in the wilderness. You’ll also hearSig’s wife Elizabeth and their son Sig Jr.speak candidly about Sigurd, hisprofession, and life in the north woods.The audio clips are set to a slideshow ofOlson family photographs.

..................... $15

Fall 2007

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Listening Point Foundation Contribution FormName: _________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City, State, ZIP: _________________________________________

Contribution Amount

$25 $250

$50 $500

$100 (other) ________

Please send your check payable toListening Point Foundation to:

Listening Point Foundation, Inc.P.O. Box 180

Ely, MN 55731

My donation will secure a gift contribution for:Name: ________________________________________________Address: ______________________________________________City, State, ZIP: _______________________________________

My contribution is in (select one) honor/memory of:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mike Green writes:

Just wanted to share a Sig Olson story before throat cancer takesme down. During the 1960s I was married to Judith H. Conn, whosefather, Dr. Howard J. Conn, owned Aberfoyle on Burntside, theproperty that adjoined Mr. Olson’s. Dr. Conn was the minister ofPlymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis and the church wasthe sponsor for Explorer Post 27. I was a member during my highschool years. Our Post Adviser was Dr. John Wheeler, Senior ResearchChemist for General Mills, and Sig Olson was our Honorary Adviser.

Each year we would come up from Minneapolis for our 10-dayQuetico Canoe Trip and at each evening’s campfire Dr. Wheelerwould read a chapter from Listening Point or The Singing Wilderness—it was the high point of each day and the perfect thing before crawlinginto your sleeping bag. Each year we would take a side trip toBurntside Lake on the way out or coming back in hope of having achance to meet Mr. Olson—but it never happened.

While in the Navy from 1962-1966 I was staying at the Conn’sBurntside Lake home and went into the woods to find a place tosafely shoot a .22 caliber pistol. I found a perfect spot and went

through two boxes of 50 rounds each. When I went back to thehouse, Mr. Olson was sitting at the Conn’s picnic table overlooking thelake; his canoe was at their dock. I introduced myself and when hetold me who he was, I gave a detailed account of Explorer Post 27.

When I finished, he had one question: “Are you finishedshooting?”

If there was ever a moment of enlightenment in my life, it wasthen. “Yes sir, never again.” I kept my promise and thus had thebenefit of his advice on a 30-day trip that I had been planning for thesummer of my discharge. It made all the difference in where I wentand where I camped—and his books were the lightest thing in mypack.

Hope I go to Heaven because I know the loons are there.

Stories of Sig

The Listening Point Foundation wants you to help keep Sig’s memory and legacy alive by keeping an eye and ear open for instances whereyou read about or hear mention of Sigurd F. Olson, whether that be in books, newspaper or magazine articles, radio or televisionprogramming, anecdotes from friends or coworkers, or from any other source. Please clip or write down these instances and send them toThe Listening Point Foundation, where we’ll keep a collection and publish them in this newsletter. Send any news of Sigurd F. Olson by letteror email to: Listening Point Foundation, P.O. Box 180, Ely, MN 55731; Phone: 218/365-7890; FAX: 218/365-7072; E-mail:listeningpoint@cpinternet.com.

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The View From Listening Point

B O O K R E V I E W

By RK OlsonThis is a book in the Sigurd Olson tradition of travel and

discovery of both the world about us and of “the wildernesswithin.” But with a difference. Jon Helminiak is a member of thegeneration that has had the freedom and ability to roam the worldpretty much at will and to come home with good stories and adeepened understanding not only of the world but of itself.

There was a time when the term “well traveled man” meantsomeone who had visited and even lived in Paris, Rome, London,New York, San Francisco, maybe Moscow and Petersburg(Leningrad), cities of the world with all their cultural legacies andcomforts, and who came home with colorful stickers on hisbaggage to show it. Not anymore.

The well-traveled man or woman today means one who hastraveled literally to what an earlier era called “the ends of theearth.” That meant the world of Teddy Roosevelt and theAmazonian “River of Doubt,” of Stanley hiking across Africa tofind Livingstone, of dining in Baghdad with Gertrude Bell, oflittle Shangri Las tucked away in the Himalayas, and of RobertService, the Yukon and “The Call of the Wild.”

Those places are still there today, a little better known at theragged edges of the Third World, but still remote, and stillpromising some adventure, some excitement, and some wildwilderness. This is the world that Jon Helminiak has decided toshare with the rest of us. The title Nothing Routine betrays hisneed for escape from the routine of the office and conventionallife in “A Quest for Discovery in Remote and Strange Places.”Good enough. Then, gradually, he writes, it came to him that whathe had actually written was “a book about soulful exploration,with travel and adventure being the conduit.”

Besides, he writes, “I am easily bored, dislike authority,avoid crowds, and can’t stay in one place too long,” theconfession of an incurable vagabond.

I would like to retell some of Jon’s stories, especially fromplaces familiar to me like Vietnam. But I will refrain and leave itthere for the reader to enjoy first hand. Suffice to say, Jon bringsus a traveller’s good fireside yarns about rafting down “The Riverof No Return” in Idaho, of a couple of close shaves with grizzliesand rapids while canoeing down Alaska’s Copper River, ofexploring by kayak the “Forbidden Sea Islands” of Myanmar (theMerguin Archipelago of Burma), of trekking in the beautifulTorres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia (Chile).

My favorite is his account of searching for the country of theheadhunters in the northern Philippines. He started in Manila witha rented car, a bad map, and worse advice to drive through hoursof a traffic jam of honking cars, sweltering humanity, and

wandering livestock toward thenorthern highlands beyond thenow notorious Mt. Pinatubovolcano to remote Sabagam, thehighest village in thePhilippines, for a blessedly coolovernight and an unexpectedand—as it turned out—unforgettable experience. He went on the next day to the villagesof the headhunters who still dress in native costume, tattooedfrom head to toe, and still relish their now outlawed headhuntingtradition. But, what surprised Jon about the whole venture, was amoment, unexpected and profound in Sabagan, an epiphany withtears as he gazed at the age-old, serene, beautiful, andpicturesquely permanent panorama of hillside terraces emergingfrom the jungle.

I loved it. The description of daily life along the way wassimple, unadorned, and true to life. I could see it, smell it, andhear it all myself. It has the feel of the authentic as compared torun-of-the-mill travel writing devoted to sea, sand, and sun lacedwith lavish and luxurious lodging and “exotic cuisine,” oh my.

But there is more, folded in here and there, having do to withwilderness, and that is where the Sigurd Olson parallel becomesmore apparent. “Spiritual awareness, revelation, emotionalmovement usually occur in moments of solitude when one’ssenses are sharp and concentration magnified.” Sound familiar?

But enough. You will have to read the book. The writing isgreat, professional and disciplined with every chapter a goodstory. You will enjoy it.

Every reviewer is obliged to criticize something to make thereview something besides a sales pitch. My criticism is the lackof maps. A travel book without maps? I spent the better part of anhour with a good atlas and a magnifying glass trying to locateplace names on the southern coast of Myanmar. Fun, but a mapwould have helped (and enhanced the book). And where is theCopper River in Alaska and the Burntwood in Canada?Recommend maps should be added to the second edition.

Finally, when Jon is not roaming the outbacks of the world,he is president of Solstice Resources Development of Mequon,Wis., devoted to assisting nonprofits with financial development;an instrument-rated frequent flyer; closely associated with theUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; and a member of the Boardof Directors of the Listening Point Foundation, Inc.

—Former LPF Board member Bob Olson lives and writes in Seeley, Wisconsin.

Nothing Routine: A Quest for Discovery in Remote and Strange PlacesJon HelminiakSeaboard Press, 2005244 pages, paperback

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Fall 2007

or government bigfooting, which led toeven more acrimony.

Politicians call this a wedge issue andthey and their pressure groups—on bothsides—have been quick to exploit it, raisefunds, recruit members and increase theirpower. A few old-line groups, notably theIzaak Walton League, attempt to appeaseboth constituencies, but they are in theminority. In a political system fueled byconflict, rather than consensus, it mayseem there is no going back.

This acrimony pollutes the legacy offounding environmental giants like

Leopold, Olson, Kephart, T. GilbertPearson, Teddy Roosevelt and others—people who appreciated sports afield butrecognized the need for environmentalstewardship. Hunters, anglers, bird-watchers, hikers and even those on thefringes like the NRA or PETA have morein common than they care to admit. Acidrain affects not only the forests that thebird-watchers enjoy hiking through butalso the trout streams in which anglers liketo wade. Global warming alarmsenvironmentalists but also affects huntersalarmed by species migration.

Hunters and anglers have a historicand legitimate place in our culture.Environmentalists deserve credit forhelping protect the lands and waters thatsustain everyone. Those 9-year-old boysreceiving BB guns for Christmas can growup to be adults who appreciate field sportsas well as the need to protect theenvironment.

—Mark Neuzil is an associate professorof journalism and mass communications

and environmental studies at theUniversity of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Blaze Orange and GreenContinued from page 1

A Listening Point Experience: Summer 2007By Luke Patterson

I remember my first trip out to Listening Point with Bill Tefft.I was one day away from giving my first presentation on Sig andleading my first tour of his property. I had read and researchedand organized a series of talking points about him for mypresentation. To say I was overwhelmed was an understatement.I was flat out intimidated! What do I know of Sig that I deservethe opportunity to lead these trips, to share of a life I have yet tounderstand?

A month before, I could only tell you a couple of books hehad written and maybe tell you in less than thirty seconds what Iknow about his life and philosophy. Well, needless to say, I wenthome that night, as any student would the night before a bigexam, cramming, studying, and sweating over material I would be“tested” on the next day. I was anxious.

My first group was, I believe, eight people, mostly fifties andolder. I showed “The Wilderness World of Sigurd Olson” DVDbefore I began my presentation. I watched this for the first timesix years earlier. Just before the ending credits appear on thescreen, Sigurd is talking about those of us who have the power ofwonderment, stay forever young and the world is always new andpristine and exciting. I learned at that moment, right before I wasto give my first presentation, that I needed an attitude adjustment.I consider myself a confident speaker in front of groups, but hereI am swallowing hard, with palms clammy and the glisten ofsweat on my forehead, realizing that I need to get excited aboutwhat I am doing. Well, that important phrase Sigurd Olsonuttered changed my attitude for that moment in time and for therest of the summer. I never pretended to be an expert on Sig’s lifeand philosophy. (After meeting many people over the summerthat had met Sig and had read all of his books, this would be animportant factor in how I presented material.) I remember

standing in front of that first group. I remember saying, “Myname is Luke. I hope you are as excited as I am to go on thistour.” Yes, I truly was excited and I could see almost immediatelythat it was rubbing off on the group. I probably did go a littleoverkill with my excitement; after all I was battling nervousnessand sweaty palms. In fact, at this point, I probably couldn’t eventell you Sigurd’s last name if someone were to ask! And so thesummer began and ended in a blink of an eye and the excitementstill hasn’t worn off. I learned something new about Sig everyweek as I researched something new to keep up with the questionsI was being asked. For each group I took out, I felt like echoingSig's words concerning his feeling on taking on a new book, whenhe said, “Each one is a challenge and a joy.”

I believe Sigurd Olson's attitude on how we should view theworld inspired me in the most subtle and profound way that itliterally changed my attitude in a matter of moments. It still stayswith me today. If Sigurd was alive today, I would write him athank you letter for inspiring me like he does so many countlessothers. And I’m sure eventually, maybe two months, maybe twoyears from now, who knows, but eventually, my wife would handme an envelope from Sigurd Olson. I don’t know what he wouldhave written in that letter. But I do know that he would havewritten one. And that’s all I need to know. That’s just the kind ofguy he is.

—Luke Patterson served as the guide for the “Visit to Listening Point” program last summer,

coordinated through Vermilion Community College in Ely.

Coming to Ely? Plan on a visit to Sig’s“Listening Point.” Just give us a call!

1-218-365-7890.