While the discovery that Decorah sits atop an ancient impact crater and was once home to the world’s oldest-recorded sea scorpion, Pentecopterus decorahensis, may seem like old news (literally!), the excitement surrounding this fascinating history is alive and well.
In fact, Decorah even has its very own crater “taskforce” – a small, informal group of local scientists and crater enthusiasts. Dedicated to public education and outreach, taskforce members recognize how important and unique it is for residents and visitors of Decorah to be aware of the area’s history and timeline, and to understand how a connected, invested community made it happen.
“From the beginning to where we are now, these incredible discoveries required collaboration among people of all different backgrounds and from all walks of life,” says Birgitta Meade, a local Winneshiek County Instructor in Environmental Education.
The whole story from initial hunch to published scientific findings unfolded in about 20 years – warp-speed in the world of science. In 2004, amateur geologist and long-time Decorah resident Jean Young was working with the Iowa Geological Survey to analyze stratigraphic data (rock layers) of well-drilling cores as a way of mapping local geography and helping to predict the best locations for constructing wells. In the Driftless area, the various layers of rock underneath the ground’s surface typically follow an established, predictable sequence. But Jean began to notice something odd – all of the samples within a 3.5-kilometer diameter circle contained mysterious layers of shale (a fine-grained rock primarily composed of clay and silt particles especially conducive to preserving fossils) that wasn’t present in any of the samples outside of that area.
Jean wasn’t the first person to notice this unexpected anomaly, but when everyone else brushed it off and moved on, she honored her hunch that the shale was pointing her towards a bigger discovery and began to investigate.
“That was the start of every crater-related discovery that has been made in Decorah,” says Laura Peterson, Professor of Environmental Studies at Luther College and a member of Decorah’s informal crater enthusiasts group. “We only know everything we do now because Jean paid attention to something that was unusual and didn’t match the expected pattern, and trusted herself enough to pursue that.”
Eventually, Jean and her collaborators at the Iowa Geological Survey discovered copious amounts of breccia – a conglomerate rock made of fragments of many other rocks and minerals – underneath the shale. Not only is breccia a problem for the construction of deep geothermal wells, as it can interfere with water movement and the way heat is transferred, it is also a strong indicator of impact events. It was one of the major pieces of evidence that led to the discovery of Decorah’s impact crater, which is estimated to be around 465 million years old. Jean passed away in 2007, but the impact, pun intended, of her dedication should be recognized in the Decorah community for, well, the rest of time.
The presence of the crater, which is buried around 100 feet below the surface of Decorah, is likely the reason that the layer of Winneshiek Shale, and all of the fossils encased within it, has been preserved in this area, even though it eroded away everywhere else. Currently, the area inside the impact crater is the only known location of Winneshiek Shale in the world. For the most part, the shale is deep enough underground that it can only be reached by taking core samples, meaning that only very small fossil fragments are able to be excavated. But Jean and her team were lucky enough to discover one area where the shale rose to surface level – the fact that it was underwater was not enough to deter them. They were able to dam the flow of water, allowing access to large portions of shale. This excavation led to the discovery of a wide variety of ancient creatures and organisms, many of which had never been documented before.
One such find, of course, was that of the Pentecopterus decorahensis, a giant six-foot long eurypterid (yew-RIP-ter-id) – the scientific name for a group of extinct marine arthropods that feature segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and a flexible organic exoskeleton. Pentecopterus decorahensis is the largest organism that has been found in Winneshiek Shale, and the second-largest eurypterid that scientists have discovered in the world so far. But that’s not all – one of the greatest contributions that Pentecopterus decorahensis has made to the discipline of paleontology is related to its extremely old age. As the oldest known eurypterid by nearly nine million years, this fossil confirmed suspicions that eurypterids evolved a lot sooner than had been previously estimated and documented.
Pentecopterus decorahensis is something of a celebrity in the Decorah area, especially since the arrival of a life-sized model, affectionately known as Scorpy, that now resides at Luther College. Decorah’s crater taskforce was thrilled when the model was able to permanently return to Decorah, providing a fantastic tangible resource to help locals and tourists learn more about the crater and its creatures.
But why stop there? Steve St. Clair, a Decorah resident and member of the taskforce, had a vision for another Pentecopterus decorahensis model – one that would be able to withstand traveling and being touched. So, he reached out to the original Scorpy artist, Dennis Wilson of Pangaea Designs, and the new, more durable Scorpy will arrive in Decorah soon, with the intention of making appearances at various public events such as parades, school visits, and local festivals.
The new Scorpy is just one step towards engaging the community in our area’s incredible history, and teaching future generations about all of the possibilities within the field of science. Hopefully, Scorpy’s story will inspire the development of future scientists who will carry on Decorah’s wonderful tradition of groundbreaking discoveries!
Clara Wodny is a 2025 graduate of Luther College, where she studied English and Visual Communications. She loves creating tangible expressions of community, both with words and stories as well as visual art. She can often be found elbows-deep in clay or printmaking ink and is excited to see where life after college takes her.
Check out the info & illustration by Clara Wodnybelow to learn even more fun facts and deep time history of Decorah’s impact crater and Pentecopterus decorahensis, aka Scorpy!
Fun Facts about Decorah’s Crater & Scorpy!
• Decorah’s ancient impact crater, one of fewer than 200 impact structures on the entire planet, sits about 100 feet below the earth’s surface. This means that the crater itself is not visible or present in Decorah’s current topology. Instead, the city’s bowl shape is a result of many years of erosion, rather than the meteor strike.
• While it is true that there are a lot of cool, ancient fossils found inside the impact crater, the impact itself is not what killed or preserved them. Instead, they probably lived many thousands of years after the impact and are preserved in a mysterious layer of shale that includes rocks, sediments, and fossils from many different time periods, all combined into one. Because the shale was deposited in deep, oxygen-free waters, it provided unique conditions that allowed for the preservation of very fine fossil features.
• Pentecopterus decorahensis might be the most famous organism extracted from Winneshiek Shale, but it is far from the only one. Conodonts are a fully extinct group of jawless marine vertebrates. Because the only portion of Conodonts that become fossilized are their teeth, scientists must study and compare these fragments to modern creatures that have similar features and body types and produce a series of reconstructions before landing on the best estimation of what the creatures may have looked like.
• The term “Sea-Scorpion” is simply a nickname for the Pentecopterus decorahensis, because it looks relatively similar to modern-day scorpions. In reality, it does not share a close genetic relationship with them. It is actually an Eurypterid (yew-RIP-ter-id) – the scientific name for a group of extinct marine arthropods that feature segmented bodies, jointed limbs, and a flexible organic exoskeleton. Pentecopterus decorahensis belongs to the same category as creatures like insects, shrimp, and lobsters, and is probably most genetically similar to a horseshoe crab.
• The crater is often estimated to be around 465 million years old, but this is just a rough guess. Calculating a more exact age of the crater would require a dating process that involves analyzing little bits of sand called zircons– molecules that essentially had their atomic clocks reset by the impact.
STAND ON THE ‘POINT OF IMPACT‘
In Van Peenen Park in Decorah, there is now a large bronze medallion, set into a concrete base, that marks the scientific ‘point of impact’ from the meteor strike 465 million years ago. The Decorah Impact Crater sits many layers far below the current ground level (about 300 feet below the marker – one of the highest points in the crater circle, in fact!). It’s a short, pretty hike to the spot.
Here’s how to get there:
• Park at the main entrance to Van Peenen Park off of Quarry Hill Road in Decorah• From the park informational kiosk, take the Higinn Trail loop (a 1.7 mile round-trip trek) to pass right by the impact marker. This off-road trail includes slight elevation changes.
• Dress for the weather and conditions, avoiding times of mud if possible.
VISIT SCORPY!
The current Pentecopterus decorahensis model lives in Valders Hall of Science at Luther College, and you can check it out and learn more about Scorpy! Here’s how:
• Go to Luther College’s main entrance / 700 College Drive, Decorah
Effigy Mounds Marching Bear Group / Photo courtesy NPS
Summer Learning is Cool!
Did you love learning about Scorpy? Well, get excited, ‘cause there’s always more to learn more about the natural world! Here’s a short list of some of our favorite educational places to visit in the Driftless – add them to your “to-explore” for this summer season!
The Driftless Region is home to many great things – one being the only National Monument in the entire state of Iowa. Effigy Mounds National Monument, located on Hwy 76 north of Marquette, is the site of 200 plus American Indian effigy mounds, built between 800 and 2500 years ago. Effigy Mounds is open every day in the summer, 9 am to 4:30 pm, with daily guided tours and programs. Learn more and plan your visit at nps.gov/efmo
Driftless Area Education & Visitor Centeris well-worth a trip. Located on the banks of the Mississippi near Lansing, Iowa, the 10,000-square-foot center includes super cool cultural, recreational, natural, and historical exhibits. Check allamakeecountyconservation.org for workshops, special hikes, backwater paddling trips, and more! Open Monday-Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm, Sat-Sun. 12-4 pm. More info at facebook.com/AllamakeeCountyConservation or 563-538-0400.
Clayton County’s Osborne Nature Centerfeatures a native wildlife exhibit, walking trails, open shelters, a welcome center, and more. Located five miles south of Elkader, Iowa, on Hwy 13, folks can check out the outdoor nature playground, hike the trails, and fish along the Volga River as well. Clayton County Conservation also hosts fun Trail Runs, day camps, Heritage Days, and more. Summer hours: Mon-Sat 8 am-4 pm and Sun 12-4 pm. Learn more at claytoncountyconservation.org or 563-245-1516
Driftless Area Wetland Centre’s mission is to connect people of all ages to the natural world and empower them to positively impact their local environments. We love that! The visitor center features wetlands, prairie, wildlife displays, and more. Located near Marquette, Iowa, it is open Tues-Sat, 11 am – 4 pm. Learn more (and check out the kids’ day camps!) at driftlessareawetlandcentre.com or by calling 563-873-3537.
International Owl Centerin Houston, Minnesota, works to make the world a better place for owls, and you can learn how to help at this neat education center! We suggest you visit for one of the three daily owl programs. There are usually live birds present each day, as well as fascinating owl displays. Summer hours: Friday – Monday, 10 am – 5 pm, with educational programs at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm daily. Learn more (and see the 24/7 live owl cam) at internationalowlcenter.org or by calling 507-896-6957.
If you’re ever heading down a road in Vernon County, Wisconsin, you might see a large, red and white van, emblazoned with the words “Building Community Through Literacy”– that’s RedLou Library, Viroqua’s very own mobile library. In the driver’s seat, you’ll likely find Mary Mulvaney-Kemp, founder and president of RedLou Inc., on her way to distribute a variety of books to interested folks, both young and old.
Mary Mulvaney-Kemp. / All photos courtesy RedLou Library
“We work to reach those that are underserved or have difficulty getting to brick-and-mortar libraries,” explains Mary.
RedLou serves the elderly population living in area facilities, many of whom have limited mobility and barriers to transportation. They help get books into the hands of the workforce at Vernon Area Rehabilitation Center (VARC), which supports individuals with disabilities in achieving their fullest potential and enhancing their quality of life. And, of course, they serve kids and parents living and working in Vernon County.
“A two-year-old can’t get to the library on their own. Parents are super busy,” Mary says. “We can make their life a little less hectic by providing books at their child’s daycare. Hopefully this can free up a few extra minutes in their week to read to their child.”
This can be especially important during summer break. Mary, who worked as a reading specialist for Viroqua Area Schools and later as the youth services director at McIntosh Memorial Library in Viroqua, often observed that children would return to school in the fall with declined reading skills – something so common, it even has a name: the summer slide.
“I wanted to limit this by providing literacy opportunities for children in various places throughout the district in the summer,” she says. While this idea never got off the ground during her career working with kids, Mary knew it was never too late. “20 years later I started my dream.”
RedLou Library – named to honor Mary’s parents (Virgil “Red” and Louise Mulvaney) –became operational in late 2021. The RedLou seed money came from a sum left for Mary by her mother, who passed away in 2019. After Mary retired from the library in 2020, she started creating plans to make her mobile library a reality.
The first step was securing an extended length transit van with a high roof – which turned out to be a difficult endeavor in early 2021 during the pandemic. But eventually, with the help of local dealership Sleepy Hollow Ford, a suitable vehicle was found, and the van began its transformation into a mobile library.
Mary worked with Abrahamson Body and Equipment Service in Manaway, Wisconsin, to upfit the cargo area into a space for the library, including adjustable shelves (installed at an angle to prevent books from falling), rolling carts that are secured with retention straps while on the move, a circulation desk, swiveling driver’s seat, and an electric lift for easy cart loading and unloading.
Acquiring books and funding were next on RedLou’s starting journey, as the mobile library is a 501(c)(3) and is funded entirely through donations and grants.
“Many individuals, local businesses, the Bigley Foundation, and Viroqua Area Foundation provided donations of time, money, or other forms of assistance,” says Mary. “Step by step, everything fell into place.”
The van is retrofitted with shelves installed at an angle and rolling carts that are secured while on the move. / All photos courtesy RedLou Library
That first year, RedLou Library used paper check-out cards with a stamped due date in a card pocket in the back of the books, with additional record keeping happening when Mary got home. It was an arduous, time-consuming process. For RedLou Library’s second year, a license to use an online library program was purchased.
“The program provides several features, including: an automated process to check books in/out, a database that patrons can browse and put books on hold, and a means to automatically notify patrons of important information,” explains Mary. “Most significantly, I had more time to serve more people.”
Mary serves as president of the RedLou non-profit board, along with her husband / vice-president/secretary, Chuck Mulvaney-Kemp, and finance officer Mike Brendel. But there are many others who keep the mobile library rolling as well.
“We have boots on the ground volunteers who help at the various sites we serve,” explains Mary. “Other volunteers help with processing books, assisting with fundraisers, providing ideas, and the list goes on. Several high school students volunteer during the summer. Support has been fantastic, nearly overwhelming, at times. All our volunteers are invaluable.”
At the start of 2022, RedLou Library was serving sites in Viroqua only, but it expanded into the neighboring communities of Westby and La Farge by the end of that year. In 2023, RedLou Library served 13 sites year-round and 17 sites throughout the summer. In 2024, there were 15 sites year-round and 22 through summer. The number of items circulated through RedLou Library continues to increase each year, too – starting with 10,989 items in 2022, growing to 19,051 in 2023, and 24,041 in 2024. Plus, there are no late fees or fines for wear and tear to their materials.
“Things happen,” says Mary. “That’s okay; we want our books in the hands and homes of our patrons, not on our shelves.”
One of RedLou’s most recent endeavors has been establishing branch libraries at daycare centers in western and northwestern Vernon County, serviced every 4-6 weeks, depending on need.
“We talk with the staff to learn how we can best serve their children and then proceed to implement a plan,” explains Mary. “We purchase the books, bins, and shelving and provide training for using the circulation software as needed. Books are rotated on a scheduled basis.”
The RedLou van serves many different sites throughout Vernon County, WI
These additional branch library sites have helped RedLou reach even more Vernon County children in 2025.
“Recently, I received a message from a teacher at one of our new service locations,” says Mary. “It stated, ‘The kids are really enjoying your library. Do you know the joy RedLou is bringing to this crazy world? I hope you do.’”
Though it is not affiliated with any public library or school, Mary notes that RedLou Library aims to provide services that expand on already existing literary opportunities.
“We are not trying to replace public libraries or school libraries. Those libraries do an excellent job,” says Mary. “When we don’t have a book someone wants, I usually respond by saying, ‘The public library will be able to get it for you. Can I help you sign up for a card?’”
No matter the road needed to get there, RedLou Library is proud to help provide folks with literacy services that might otherwise be out of reach.
“It is especially important to help young children perceive themselves as readers when they are very young and certainly before they are school age,” says Mary. “Toddlers can interpret pictures, which is the first step toward reading words. We believe that if children enter school with a love of books, they will be eager to learn to be a word reader. Being a strong reader helps ensure school success. This can change the trajectory of a child’s life.”
Tallitha Reese is a freelance writer and content manager based in Cashton, WI. She owns Words By Reese and you can find out more about her and her work at www.wordsbyreese.com.
Community events and weekly evening service sites are also added to RedLou’s summer schedule. A calendar of planned stops for RedLou Library, a fundraising and events list, and information about how you can get involved can be found at redlou.org or by contacting Mary Mulvaney-Kemp at redlouinc@gmail.com.
“Community” and “communication” are related. First cousins, at least. And you really can’t have the first without the second.
Phil and Heidi Dybing live in and love the community of Lanesboro, Minnesota. They also understand the communication it takes to keep it all happening.
Phil and Heidi Dybing were regulars at “Over the Back Fence,” Lanesboro’s local radio show that ran for 25 years. / Photo by Sue Harris
“We both grew up here,” says Phil. He and Heidi met as teens, building a friendship (at the former Harmony, Minnesota roller rink), a romance, and a 50-year marriage. After living in a number of different communities, they returned to their starting place in 1992, three kids in tow. “Now we want to do what we can to make it an even better place to live and raise families,” Phil continues. “We want to see new people move here and enjoy all this community has to offer.”
They bought a farm, built a new home, and re-connected with their hometown – a special place with lots going on. “I call it a college town without a college,” says Heidi.
But like many small, rural towns in the Midwest, there was a communication problem.
“We lost our local newspapers, and it was harder for people to be aware of what was going on around town,” Heidi says. “There were lots of fun things happening here that I didn’t want my friends to miss. We wanted to do something to help fix that.”
Heidi, with Phil’s support, started sending out a weekly group email in 2018 containing information about concerts and theater performances, important meetings, special events – the kinds of activities people want to know about and may want to participate in. She called it “Happenings.” Most people in town simply call it “Heidi’s List.”
“I keep it brief,” she says. “I find out what’s going on each week and pass it along. People send me items, too, or ask if they can ‘use’ the list to communicate something to the wider community. That works, too.”
Above, a sample “Happenings” email from this past spring.
Is it working? Here’s one indication: Lanesboro’s current population is 724. The number of people on Heidi’s List is currently 355. And growing.
“The list is mainly locals, of course, but includes others, too, even a few people from Texas, who want to keep in touch. People like to know what’s going on where they live or in a place they care about. They want to stay connected.”
Staying connected in communities, especially in smaller, rural towns, has become increasingly difficult in recent times, while people’s desire to know what’s happening in their world has remained strong.
“I was at a meeting in town the other day,” says Heidi, “where 90 percent of the people there had come because they read about it in Happenings.”
And a lot of times, Phil and Heidi are involved in the actual happenings happening. They were both regulars in “Over the Back Fence,” a long-running, locally produced radio show. Phil’s sound-work and announcing skills have supported scores of performances at the St. Mane Theater and local festivals, and he’s been the long-time tech guy for the Rutabaga Brothers band.
Heidi, a gifted pianist, has been a substitute church musician in the area. She’s also a skilled seamstress, creating costumes for the Commonweal Theater, Lanesboro Community Theater, and History Alive Lanesboro. She organizes daily volunteers to serve and deliver senior meals, and is a cheerleader for big potlucks, including an everyone-is-welcome Thanksgiving feast.
Phil got involved in city economic development and housing initiatives and recently organized “T.O.T.E.M. (Two or Three Elderly Men) Construction” to tackle home renovations hands-on.
Phil and Heidi together also provide leadership to “Discovery,” a Sunday morning fellowship group.
There was also another group email produced by the Dybings that had a lasting impact.
“So many people felt isolated and disconnected during the covid pandemic,” remembers Heidi. “We wondered what might help and came up with an idea to share music. We created piano instrumentals – me playing, Phil recording – and emailed them out to people each Saturday afternoon. We did that for 57 weeks in a row. People told us later that it became kind of a weekly ritual around their dinner table or wherever to listen to that music. It helped people connect.”
Phil agrees. “We still have people coming up to us saying how much that music meant to them during that time.”
The “team” behind the creation of the new Lanesboro Market: (left to right) Peter and Cyntia Ruen; Todd and Susan Readinger; Heidi and Phil Dybing. / Photo by Cyan Ruen
The two help others build community as well. In 2014, Phil and Heidi started and operated a corner grocery story in Lanesboro called “Beste Byen” (Norwegian for “good town”) that successfully served residents and visitors for several years. While the business later changed hands and eventually sold, Phil and Heidi were excited to offer behind-the-scenes consulting support, and more than a little hands-on labor, to help a new grocery store called the “Lanesboro Market” open in spring 2025.
“Grocery stores in rural towns across the Midwest, like newspapers, are also disappearing,” says Phil. “But we need them. A family-run store provides convenient, healthy food for people, an outlet for locally-sourced goods, income for its owners, and a gathering place to talk with your neighbors and meet new people. All good things.”
Heidi happily enjoys the good things in her hometown and loves to promote all it has to offer. “Lanesboro has a wonderful blend of people, with a livability and walkability that makes it easy to connect with others. That can be a problem on days you’re in a hurry, though. A quick walk to the bank takes an hour-and-a-half because of all the visiting,” she says with a laugh. “We also have absolutely amazing artists and arts here, the Commonweal Theater and so much more. We love living here and being a part of it.”
Steve Harris, a faithful reader of “Happenings,” lives in Lanesboro where he’s a freelance writer (steveharrisauthor.com) who can be reached at sharris1962@msn.com.
If you’d like to be added to “Heidi’s List,” she welcomes you to contact her at heididybing55@gmail.com.
