Aryn Henning Nichols

In 1970, Georgie Klevar moved from Minnesota to Decorah with her husband, Harvey, when he was offered a job at Luther College. While Harvey fulfilled his life’s work as a professor, Georgie filled the following 55+ years with countless work, family, volunteer, and public roles serving others in our region. “After we moved to Decorah, I heard about a group of women in Decorah who were giving out clothing to those in need, so I volunteered to help them and ended up on the first Depot Outlet Board,” she says. “When I returned to work, I had childcare, but there was another fantastic group that had talked about the need for childcare and we formed the first Sunflower (Child Care Center) at West Side School in the summer. There have been so many that have made this organization into what it is today.”

From her early days as a mom to Leah and Rachel, Georgie, now 84, did not shy away from being a valued part of countless boards and organizations, all while launching into a career of her own at NICC in adult education. As she “retired” from her professional career, her volunteer work with the boards of RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program), the Oneota Food Cooperative, Habitat for Humanity, the Decorah Food Pantry, Immigration Working Group, and more only increased. Giving back has been at the core of much of Georgie’s work, but she is very clear about one thing: “I’ve been in Decorah 55 years, and during that time I’ve been involved in several volunteer projects and serving people – but I’ve always received more than I’ve given. I’ve always worked alongside dedicated and caring people – never alone, and that reflects on the quality of people here.”  And while she may have been a Minnesota girl from the start, she’s the first to tell you, “It turns out I couldn’t have been happier here.” 

What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?

It came from my dad, who didn’t exactly give advice – more directives. “I think you should be a teacher.”

How about the worst?

Also from my dad, “You don’t need to take typing.”

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I assumed I’d be a mother and a homemaker, but I would teach a few years and then settle in. It turns out I did teach, and got married, had my first daughter but soon realized I still needed to be involved in the bigger world, and education was always my interest.

What do / did you do? I’ve always been involved in teaching of one kind or another. When I graduated from college, I got a job teaching at Regina High School in the Twin Cities – a Catholic Girls High School run by a group of very innovative nuns, and that group taught me how to be a great teacher. They mentored me and that’s how I really grew to love teaching. I taught all levels of high school history, and that really sparked my interest in American Government and History, and my love for Politics. Government functions through politics! 

When we moved to Decorah I became a teacher at North Winneshiek, and then in 1972, I found an opportunity at NICC (then called Area 1) in adult education. I was responsible for hiring part time teachers to work with adults to attain their GED, via President Johnson’s war on poverty. We also then trained teachers to work with non-English speakers for the six-county area, and I learned a lot through that process. I taught the teachers, so to speak, and there were lots and lots of wonderful, dedicated part time teachers. 

Through the years my supervisor encouraged me to get my masters in Adult Education, which I did, eventually becoming the community college’s Director of Continuing Education, supervising all sorts of non-credit activities from real estate to salon. 

As it turns out, I retired in 2000 and became an almost full-time volunteer (and still needed to type!). Of the many things, I also began volunteer tutoring adults through the Immigration Working Group. Mostly what I figured out was that immigrants didn’t have time or childcare to go to classes, so I would sit at kitchen tables and help people study to get their GED or citizenship. I mention this not because of myself, but because this group has been so quietly caring for immigrants here in Northeast Iowa for many years. 

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?   

A book written by a friend of ours – Dr. Joseph Everson, “The Vision of the Prophet Isaiah: Hope in a War-Weary World”. 

Chocolate Covered Almonds. 

A recording of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young”.

Try to describe yourself in one sentence.

Hard working, organized, and friendly.

If you could eat anything every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Chocolate.

Name one thing you could not live without.

Phone calls with my four wonderful grandkids.

Spring is on its way! The sounds and sights of migrating warblers and other songbirds make it hard to stay inside. Once the ground is firmed up, you can hit the trails.

Trails slicing through the Driftless Region’s woods are especially fun to explore in the early spring. The leafless trees allow more sunlight to hit the forest floor, so fleeting ephemerals can emerge before taller vegetation out-competes them. The very earliest flower for sharp-eyed hikers appears in March – the Pasque flower. You need a good eye to spot their ground-hugging blooms. Once found, you can reliably return to the same place annually to enjoy them.

Many ephemerals open only briefly to their pollinators and then die back to await the next spring. So you have to move fast to catch them! Look for spring beauty, Dutchman’s breeches, hepatica, rue-anemone, yellow and white trout lily, Virginia bluebell, bloodroot, Jack-in-the- pulpit, trillium, shooting star, hoary puccoon, prairie smoke, and bird’s foot violet as you hike. The best time to enjoy these flowers is late March through early June, depending on your latitude in the Driftless. 

After a long winter of low sun and dampness, mushrooms and fungi start popping up in the wet forest as well. A first shot of spring color comes from the tiny, delicate scarlet elfin cup whose bright red color pops out on the trail. If you’re lucky and have the eye for it, morels lurk in the leaf litter for those who enjoy an earthy mushroom treat.

If you get impatient to see these early flowers and fungi – like I often do – consider trails located in the more southern parts of the Driftless area (like the ones in Northeast Iowa on the list on the next page) to get a jump on early bloomers.

Tick Tips

Some might feel reluctant to hike in spring once temperatures hit 40 degrees due to the increased presence of ticks, especially in their nymph stage. It is right to be cautious with ticks, especially the Lyme disease carrying black-legged deer tick. But with the right gear and protection, anyone can enjoy the spring woods’ delicate and fleeting wildflowers worry-free.

Here are a few strategies I use to help avoid spring tick bites:

• Wear light colored clothing.

• Tuck pants into socks and spray boots and pants legs with a picaridin or DEET-containing insect repellent.

• For greater protection, invest in permethrin-infused gaiters (I like mine from Outdoor Research). Permethrin kills ticks on contact.

• Consider spraying a set of hiking clothes with permethrin spray. Renew the spray every six weeks or after six washes

• After hikes, toss hiking clothes into the dryer on high for a 10-minute spin to kill any ticks still on clothes.

• Check your body carefully for any tick action post-hike.

• Shower/wash hair. It usually takes time before a tick can transfer Lyme disease bacteria, so a good scrub can help dislodge them prior to attachment.

• If you do a lot of off-trailing like me, consider investing in a set of non-chemical RynoSkin protection underclothes (shirt, pants, socks). They are like ultralight long underwear with elasticized wrists and ankles. 

Here are some flower-filled spring hiking trails in the Driftless Region:

Carley State Park (MN) – Large swaths of bluebells and wildflowers are prominent in May next to the Whitewater River. Nearby, Whitewater State Park (19041 Hwy 74, Altura MN) is also a spring flower paradise. Carley State Park GPS: 44.109915, -92.169425

Yellow River Forest – Paint Rock Unit (IA) – Hiking alongside a steep ravine brings carpets of wildflowers to you at eye-level. At the top, you’ll find ponds, woods, fungi, more wildflowers, and spectacular Mississippi River views. Hwy 364 Rd, south of Harper’s Ferry IA. GPS: 43.175140, -91.175609 (just beyond the boat landing sign on the right)

Whitewater Canyon Area – Lost Canyon Trail of 13 Caves (IA) – A great spot to find an area lush with early wildflowers – and searchable caves. Bring your headlamp for cave peeping. 29912 9th Avenue, Bernard, IA 

Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge (WI) – Hike along the Prairie Loop and Pine Creek trails for wetlands and dry sand prairie wildflower wonders. W228488 Refuge Road, Trempealeau, WI

Wildcat Mountain State Park (WI) – The Old Settlers trail hike brings you up and down a bluff and through wetlands giving you a huge variety of wildflowers, fungi, and birds along the way. E13660 Hwy 33, Ontario, WI

Vetsch Park (MN) – While the trails can be confusing, this city bluff park boasts copious wildflowers as you wander on bluffsides and atop the iconic Stoney Point. Check out the park’s wildflower guide. 722 N. 2nd St., La Crescent, MN

Marge Loch-Wouters

Marge Loch-Wouters is a Minnesota Master Naturalist living in La Crescent MN. Her Hiking the Driftless Trails blog encourages everyone to head out on the trails all year long, no matter your age or physical condition.

In mid-March, as longer days herald the onset of spring, an aquatic miracle unfolds. Small ponds, buried for months under ice and snow, begin to thaw. When the water temperature hits 50 degrees, as if on cue, tiny frogs awaken and begin calling vigorously. It is the first scene of a three-act performance that spans months.

Three frog species brimming with bravado – spring peepers, boreal chorus frogs, and wood frogs – are the first to pierce cold spring air with signature vocalizations. The ching-ching-ching of sleighbells signals the presence of pint-sized spring peepers. If you hear what sounds like someone running a finger over the teeth of a pocket comb, boreal chorus frogs have joined the concert. And when the low chuckling starts, perhaps in response to the vernal din, wood frogs have decided to add their two cents. 

The web-footed recital has a purpose. Vocalizing males are competing for mates. The noisy commotion attracts female frogs who hop by to assess would be suitors. Think of it as a high decibel dating game with scores of itty-bitty competitors. Males with the loudest vocalizations typically win the romantic frenzy. 

The hormone-fueled performance also attracts predators. As a rule, frogs are food for a variety of birds and mammals. To stay off the menu, they remain partially submerged when calling and go silent at the first hint of danger. If need be, a hasty retreat to the bottom of the pond offers temporary refuge. Eventually, one brave frog will surface, give the “all clear,” and re-ignite the chorus. 

After a few weeks, the ponds’ first tenants conclude their froggy nuptials by depositing masses of tiny, gelatinous eggs in the water. Tadpoles emerge from the eggs and ultimately metamorphose into shiny, new frogs, ensuring next year’s presentation.

By May, when the water temperature reaches 60 degrees, a new trio of performers gets down to business. Polka-dotted leopard frogs woo potential mates with a low vocalization that sounds like a wet finger being dragged slowly over an inflated balloon. Eastern gray treefrogs, renowned for their ability to climb vertical surfaces – including tree trunks – due to small suction cups on the tips off their toes, issue bright, staccato trills. Earth bound toads join the party en masse, sometimes traveling up to a mile from woodland hibernacula (their underground winter homes) to reach their favorite pond. Their sweet, prolonged trill drifting through open windows is redolent of early summer nights. Toads are somewhat less cautious than their frog cousins when calling. Large parotid glands behind their eyes can exude bufotoxin, a milky substance that renders them inedible to most predators. 

As balmy days push the water temperature to 70 degrees, green frogs and bullfrogs step into the spotlight for the amphibian finale. A calling green frog is reminiscent of a plunked banjo string. The resonant “jug-o-rum” of bullfrogs, on the other hand, conjures images of a cellist tuning up. Together, they create a soundscape that signals arrival of the dog days of summer. Slowly paddling a Mississippi River backwater on a July evening while frogs perform is like having a front row seat in an aquatic amphitheater. It is a sensory experience not to be missed.

Frogs aren’t just charming little crooners. As amphibians, they are highly responsive to changes in water quality and climate and thus serve as important environmental barometers. Protecting Driftless wetlands is essential to their well-being. It is also the best way to ensure their soggy serenade continues to delight future generations. 

Mary & Craig Thompson

Mary and Craig Thompson live in the bluffs north of La Crosse. On occasion, they engage in ribbeting discussions about frogs and toads.