H O R N H A P P E N I N G S
A note from Peter Deahl, ISA Certified Arborist, #0074,
Outdoor Ed. '75, in response to a newsletter photo
12/10/12:
The bald cypress was planted at
Horn Field Campus by Dale
Maxson and was purchased with proceeds from the Sustainable
Landscape and Garden Tour a few years ago. It is flourishing!
I loved the picture of the students and their pruning paraphernalia. The first time I stepped upon the hallowed ground of Horn Lodge was in 1971 with Frank Lupton and other professors, the names of whom I am ashamed to admit I cannot remember. Dr. Lupton gave me the job of maintenance at the
Lodge and staying in the house trailer (at that time) to watch over the place while the full time caretaker took some time off.
Wow, 41 years ago. How can that be. Well I am glad to see there is enthusiastic involvement and care of the old place. We mist-netted many song birds and dug up many square feet of soil to smell the bacteria and fungi but the most pleasurable memory of all was sitting on a log at 2am with Dr. Lupton and the whole class listening to the snow as it fell into the forest.
Frank made us just sit, be silent, dead silent and connect with the trees and the earth. That’s what I took from Horn Lodge, that is what I think is the essence of Outdoor Education. To this day when I am not right I still go to the woods and I still sit on a log and get fixed. WIU, what a great place! Thanks!!! I honestly think I have worked with trees for 40 years because of that night... I hope all of you there are as lucky as I.
Rare Albino Mole
Birth Ratio: 1 in 16,000
Relocated to the Prairie
Upcoming Events at HFC
Corn Maze
Sept. 27 - Oct. 27, 2013
Fridays & Saturdays 8-10 pm
Saturdays & Sundays 1-4 pm
Haunted Corn Maze
Thursday, October 31, 2013
8-11 p.m.
Wellness Weekend
Feb. 21 - 23, 2014
Wilderness First Responder
March 8 - 16, 2014
Wilderness First Responder
Re-Certification
March 17 - 19, 2014
50th Year Celebration 2015
A note from Sheila Downin to HFC Spring 2013 Challenge
Course Intern Rachel Feltman 4/23/13:
Hello Rachel,
I could not have asked for a more perfect day!
All of our facilitators were amazing!
I was very impressed with how they all handled all of the junior high antics...you just redirected them, and got them focused again every time they diverted from the task, or information.
It was VERY apparent that this was not your first "rodeo"!
HA!
I was most impressed with the emphasis placed on the safety of each event...whether we were doing the challenges on the ground, or the events on the high ropes course.
I understand why that is in place, but it was still very comforting to see that no matter what we were doing, and no matter who the facilitator was, safety was always the first priority!
ALL of the kids loved the day...even those who didn't participate in the high ropes enjoyed watching or partnering with those that did.
And those few kids who told us how petrified they were of heights, still climbed outside of their comfort zone and tried it.
Seth, the one who was the most fearful, did the entire high ropes course, and the swing...he will never forget that, and maybe, just maybe, he won't be as scared of heights because of his experience this past weekend.
Alex climbed up to the cross log, then asked to be brought down...only to try it again later, and completed the entire course!
Another amazing outcome!
They will all remember this the rest of their lives!
So I thank you all for a fun day, the weather was perfect, you were all fabulous, professional, and great leaders/teachers!
I would highly recommend this to others!
All the best, your biggest fan, Sheila
John Wood Community College - Upward Bound Summer Program completed their summer wilderness experience at Horn Field Campus
June 10-13. Upward Bound is a federally funded grant to assist lowincome, first generation college-bound students to graduate from high school and enter and succeed in post-secondary education. Many students select Western Illinois University once they have completed the program.
To get the latest information on upcoming programs at HFC, refer to our website: wiu.edu/hfc or call 309.833.5798
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When I was 15 years old I acquired my first job as a lifeguard at Flick Pool in
Glenview, Illinois. I loved working outdoors so much I stayed on and did it part time for almost ten years. I had not thought too much about what my major was going to be at WIU until I was a second semester
sophomore. So, I talked to my aquatics supervisor, who is a WIU alumna, and she told me to get into the RPTA department! I completed four years of college courses and instead of finishing up my degree; I made a life changing decision to join the United
States Marine Corps. I served my country for five years with several overseas deployments, one of them being Iraq in
2009. I was also in Okinawa, Japan for my last year in the military and had the honor of assisting Japan in the Tsunami disaster relief in 2011. When my time with the Marines was done I made the decision to go back to WIU and finish what I started with the assistance of the G.I. Bill. By this time I was a completely different person and I was ready to take on any obstacle that stood in my way of getting my degree. I was fortunate enough to have had the course, RPTA 376
Perspectives in Outdoor Recreation, with Mindy Pheiffer in the fall of 2012. This was my bridge to Horn Field Campus where
I decided if Mindy would have me; I was going to finally complete my internship. It is a privilege to be an Intern here at
Horn Field Campus, and I am taking every opportunity to learn more about the outdoors which I loved so much in the past from all the experienced personnel that come through
Horn Field Campus.
Whatever my next endeavor in life is, I know the skills and knowledge I will obtain from my Internship at Horn Field
Campus will ensure I prosper. “It’s been a great summer & internship!”
Every year I look forward to the day I hear
Dennis giving directions from clear across the parking lot. Line up! Listen up! Dennis Williams has been bringing Teen Reach program from
Quincy, Illinois to Horn Field Campus since before I started facilitating three summers ago.
The group is comprised of 20-30 rambunctious youngsters from at risk homes looking for a place to burn off some energy. The skills they walk away with are more valuable than what they might get at a typical summer camp experience. The short time frame is demanding
and requires an incredible amount of focus. The group struggles time and time again, yet I have consistently been impressed with the development of leadership, communication, and trust skills they acquire so quickly.
The older kids understand the initial timidness of the new kids and find it enjoyable to "show them the ropes". I hope that Teen Reach comes back next summer so that we can help each individual realize their potential once again.
Teen Reach Participants
Two Rivers Regional
Council, Quincy, IL
Horn Field Campus
June 5-8, 2013
Pictures courtesy of Jackie Smith, The Voice , June 6, 2013