Glendalough State Park • Battle Lake, MN • Winter 2021 • #103 Native Night Skies by Joan Vorderbruggen I don’t recall who first pointed out the Big Dipper to me, but as a young girl growing up in Eastern Otter Tail County, I always felt exhilarated whenever I searched for it in the abundant cast of stars above my head. I found the dark night sky to be an exciting place to explore another world high above me, while feet were still planted firmly upon the earth. Humbled and awe- struck by the vastness I felt a part of, I wondered who else might be searching the skies that same night, or what the people who came before me had seen in the patterns formed by the multitude of white, yellow, blue and reddish dots above my head. We are at a point where many people - especially younger generations - are losing their connection to the beauty and mysteries that the night sky holds. Our night skies are becoming dimmed with excessive light pollution, even from outdoor lighting in rural and small town areas. Fortunately, there are people around the world who are recognizing how important it is to preserve dark skies, creating special place designations to protect and preserve the heritage night skies, and encouraging communities to turn down the lights. We are fortunate to have two internationally recognized dark-sky areas in Minnesota: Voyageurs National Park is a designated Dark Sky Park 1; and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness became the 13th world designated Dark Night Skies Story continued on page 2 Sustaining Impact of Legacy Giving by Dan Malmstrom The beautiful park we experience today is due in large part to legacy giving from families who saw Glendalough as unique enough to preserve for future generations. This article will cite examples of planned-giving with the hope that more Park Partners will consider such investments. It must be said at the outset, Park Partners is grateful for more than $300,000 and volunteer time countless individuals have given at the “Walk” over the past 30 years. It all has made Glendalough great! Glendalough’s very inception is the result of amazing generosity by the Cowles / Ballantine families as they gifted 2,000 acres of shoreline, forest and prairie to the Nature’s Conservancy en route to becoming a state park. Imagine the value of the pristine shoreline along Blanche, Annie Battle and Molly Stark lakes alone? Remarkably, their commitment to Glendalough continues with family donations from their wills and trusts toward our long-range projects. A similar, lesser known example involves the 40 acres of restored prairie directly south of the park’s entrance along County Highway #16 and adjacent to North Shore Drive. As the story goes, in the late 1950s, Gene (deceased 2018) and Dorothy Porter from Fergus Falls bought that land which Inside: included about a 1/4 mile of lakeshore frontage on West President's Remarks - 2 Vintage Glendalough - 4 Battle Lake. Gene was a veterinarian and Dorothy a school Walk 2021 - 3 Jeff's Jottings - 6 Governor's Opener - 3 Helen Estes - 6 Legacy Story continued on page 5 Night Sky Story continued from page 1 COMMON NAME DAKOTA OJIBWE Sky Sanctuary in September 2020 2. Still when you view MEANING/NAME MEANING/NAME 3 the night-light map of dark skies (above) , you’ll see that Moon Night Sun / Night Sun / the area of west central Minnesota is not immune to the Hanhepi Wi Dibik-giizis encroachment of light pollution. Though not completely Milky Way Road of the Spirits Spirit Path / untainted, there is still enough darkness to clearly display or Ghost Trail / Jiibaykona Wanagi Tacanku the stars, planets and Milky Way, to inspire a profound River of Souls / sense of wonder and to stir our imaginations. One place Jiibay Ziibi where this is accessible for all is at Glendalough State Park. Aurora Borealis Spirit Dancers / The Spirits are As discussed in the “Sense of Place” series in previous Wanagi Tawacipi dancing / Jiibayag (Northern Lights) miimi'idiwak Tracks & Trails newsletters, there has been an intimate relationship between humans and the natural environment Big Dipper The Dipper, The Fisher Wooden Spoon constellation / Ojiig in this area for thousands of years. This inseparable kinship constellations / with the natural world by the most recent Indigenous Wacakiyuhapi People who have inhabited the area - the Dakota and the *See Endnotes #4 and #5 for more extensive lists Ojibwe - is exemplified through their deep understanding and relationship with the night sky. The cosmos connects ENDNOTES: to relatives, to stories of origin, birth, life and death. 1. https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/parks/voyageurs- Messages guiding people when to plant, harvest or hunt dark-sky-park/ were revealed when humans began deciphering the 2. https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/sanctuaries/ boundary-waters/ vocabulary of the stars in search of answers. 3. Night-lights imagery by NOAA’s earth observation group: https://blue- The winter sky constellations (below) are just a partial marble.de/nightlights/2012 (see also International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) website: darksky.org view of the beautiful, full seasonal star maps of both the 4. “Makoce Wicanhpi Wowapi - D(L)akota Star Map”, a Native Dakota 4 and Ojibwe 5 People. These images only begin to Skywatchers star map created by A. Lee, J. Rock, copyright 2012. For introduce us to the richness in the connections and stories full Dakota sky map and information on celestial vocabulary: https://web. that the Indigenous People of this part of the country stcloudstate.edu/aslee/DAKOTAMAP/home.html 5. “Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaignan - Ojibwe Sky Star Map:, a Native have had with the night sky. Much more on the maps’ Skywatchers star map created by A. Lee, W. Wilson, C. Gawboy, copyright constellations and their associated stories can be found at 2012. For full Dakota sky map and information on celestial vocabulary: the website: nativeskywatchers.com https://web.stcloudstate.edu/aslee/DAKOTAMAP/home.html President’s Remarks I recall making a presentation just a few short years ago about Glendalough at the annual meeting of the Otter Tail Lake Property Owners Association. I asked the audience to guess what the annual attendance at the park was for that year, and they started at 10,000. They were flabbergasted when I told them we had just exceeded 50,000 visitors. Well, the numbers are in for 2020, and the final total visitor count was 127,099! This is amazing, especially when you consider that Park Manager Jeff Wiersma and a small part- time staff hosted all our visitors, tended to their needs and managed the never-ending upkeep the park requires. Thank you, Jeff, for your hard work and dedication! And not to be I strongly encourage you to spend some time with the outdone, 2021 started off with a bang when, on New Year’s night skies! Winter skies, in particular, can evoke a sense Day, there were over 100 cars in the park and 130 skiers on of magic (providing you dress warmly enough)! Consider the ski trail. your own connection to the night sky: What stories do you have around your own personal connections with the night While we whole-heartedly support the DNR's commitment sky or to star gazing? Have you felt that sense of awe when to keeping the park in its natural, primitive state, with a witnessing the vastness of the starry sky above? How has focus on hiking, biking, kayaking, camping etc, future spending time watching the Northern Lights or viewing funding depends on strong visitor counts and our ability the Milky Way shaped your view of yourself and the world to share the Glendalough experience with others who will around you? value its beauty and serenity like we do. Below are five 2 Glendalough State Park ︙ Battle Lake, Minnesota publicity opportunities that have presented themselves recently that you may be interested in. 1. KARE 11 TV’s Minnesota Bound program featured Glendalough and interviewed Jeff on January 24th. It’s available on the Glendalough Park Partners Facebook page or on YouTube. 2. Lakes Country magazine is planning to do a story on the yurts at Glendalough in its February 2021 issue. 3. PBS interviewed Park Manager Jeff Wiersma for a program that is expected to air in the near future. 4. Board VP Dan Malmstrom did a great interview for the WCCO Facebook page on December 24. Titled “Discover Minnesota with Roshini,” the result was wonderful publicity for both Battle Lake and Glendalough State Park. At this writing, it appears Walk 2021 logistics will be similar given state gathering restrictions and the progress 5. I was asked to represent the Friends Groups/Park of statewide vaccinations. As a result, we encourage you Partners in the DNR's NW Region on a Zoom call with to visit Glendalough on April 24th for a Self-Walk 2021 DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen and others on and enjoy a Free-Pass-Day. For your safety and the safety December 18. Various constituencies who work with the of others, please practice social distancing and abide DNR and are affected by its policies shared their most by whatever COVID-19 restrictions are then in place. pressing concerns. For those of you beginning or renewing Park Partner This edition of Tracks & Trails is once again filled with memberships, a new Walk 2021 T-Shirt will await you in great articles that I know you will enjoy. Dan writes about the park on the 24th. how the generous and creative support of so many you, If covid restrictions loosen significantly prior to April 24th, in many different ways over the years, has contributed we may restore some of the personal and program elements to the popularity and improved visitor experiences at of the Walk.