Our town recently lost two humans who accomplished amazing feats and left us far better off than had they not been with us, two whom I would classify as unsung heroes, who made a huge difference in our state.
Lib Horn had been a teacher and worked for the Veterans Administration once upon a time, but after moving to Fayetteville, it was her unceasing work for animals that set in motion the building of a new animal shelter several years ago where she served as director. She was also the inspiration and driving force in seeing that the more recently built county shelter became a reality. Low-cost spay and neuter programs at these shelters were initiated by her.
Lib was a small, feisty character, more like a terrier than a lab, and a powerhouse when it came to animal protection. She walked that razor's edge between giving her all to protect, yet still witnessing the results of torture and horror some humans inflict upon animals. And, she had to deal with what has to be done in the face of out-of-control animal overpopulation, an emotional roller coaster few of us have the strength to reconcile.
The numerous stories told at her funeral attested to her funny and loving personality and were so enjoyable that for a suspended time, I forgot why we were there. What I'll never forget, however, were the dogs in attendance. St. Paul's Episcopal Church has a 7:30 a.m. Sunday service that welcomes pets, and Lib's service announcement said, "Pets, of course, are welcome." The eight or so dogs there were better behaved than we humans in the audience, and when a Prayer for the Animals (attributed to Albert Schweitzer) was read, I'm certain Lib was all smiles.
"Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals, especially for animals who are suffering; for animals that are overworked, underfed and cruelly treated; for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death ..."
The exact moment this prayer ended, from far in the back of the sanctuary came a deep, fur-lined, "WOOF!" The animal Amen Chorus had spoken.
Mina Marsh retired to Fayetteville after serving as deputy director of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission for 26 years, returning around 2001 to the town where she'd graduated from high school and college. That same year the Arkansas Wildlife Federation named her Conservationist of the Year. She hardly retired, however, since she then worked for three years as development director at the Ozark Natural Science Center and served on the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks board.
I met her decades ago when she was working on acquiring a mixed forest of cypress, pine and hardwood for preservation in south Arkansas, of which my family owned a fractional portion. I was easy, since land preservation is high on my list of priorities, but it took some careful negotiation on Mina's part to get some other family members and adjoining landowners to sell or trade. Then Mike Huckabee was elected governor and all natural area purchases came to a screeching halt. Our particular land deal took eleven years, but Mina, a national leader in win/win negotiating with private and corporate landowners, hung in there and made it happen. For over a quarter of a century she reached agreements with every major timber company operating in this state.
She had human stories to match each of the 55 parcels of Arkansas' natural and cultural heritage that she helped usher into preservation. Some of my favorites were of the close calls she had saving Searles Prairie Natural Area in Rogers near Dixieland Road and U.S. 62, "a 10-acre remnant of a 10,000-acre tallgrass prairie" that once occupied this area's plateau, and the Baker Prairie Natural Area in Harrison near the high school.
Utility lines, land costs, refusals to sell, rights-of-way, changes of heart, family feuds, timber lust, pipelines, plowing, paving, clear-cutting, money shortages, political grand-standing/ bull-headedness, and ignorant, sometimes vengeful, political appointees were but a few of the obstacles Mina faced and overcame. Because of her extraordinary talent in developing relationships across the state there are now hundreds of thousands of acres in preservation for us all to enjoy, to study,and to hold dear.
All we have to do now is to honor her work by following her example. Rest in tallgrass prairie peace, Mina.
Commentary on 12/01/2015