Saturday, August 23, 2025

I miss Mary Gustafson

 

 

It’s not that we were close.  We were friendly acquaintances.  But she was always there.  She was a solid birding resource, working all over the valley protecting birds and habitat.  Visible.  Available.  I could call her, and she would help me through difficult I.D.s, and with recording unusual sightings.  We would run into each other out watching birds from time to time.

 

Then I heard she died.  I didn’t even know about her health issues until after the fact. 

 

This spring, I ran across this memorial at the National Butterfly Center.  I wasn’t expecting it.  I was just out for a walk to the river.  It struck me out of the blue.  It brought her right back to my thoughts.  I’m glad it’s there.

 

I love the quote about why she spent the last ten years helping out the Butterfly Center as a volunteer: 

 

A person wearing a hat and glasses

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“Because butterflies are good bird food.”

 

Her sense of humor.

 

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