Denali to Talkeetna
Love of the outdoors is what brought many people to Alaska. Without exception the three people I interviewed on my last day in Alaska came for that very love.
I woke up in Talkeetna and drove to the Denali Village to meet Jodi Rodwell the Interim Executive DIrector of the Denali Education Center. A transplant from Montana, Jodi has always had a passion for the outdoors and for non-profit organizations. Marrying both of her loves she came out to Alaska to do some work for a summer and as the familiar story goes…never returned to the lower 48. Jodi spoke of the incredible community that she and her husband are a part of explaining that when so many are transplants your community becomes your family.
The Denali Education Center has many programs including an elder hostel and youth programming. Jodi’s favorite is the program tat brings youth from the foster system and juvenile system in Fairbanks to Denali to experience the challenges and successes of living outdoors through extensive hiking and camping experiences in the national park.
For Jodi the thought that these kids live in Alaska and have never experienced the outdoors is unthinkable. Jodi explained that the kids arrive and are not exactly thrilled to be brought out to the middle of nowhere as they see it. Through their time with Jodi and her crew the kids become transformed falling in love with the outdoors, being freed from the troubles they face back home and begging for just one more hike before they get back on the busses and head home to their tough realities.
I walked into the cabin area and watched as Jodi’s team celebrated the hoisting of a large solar pane array, the largest in Alaska, which will heat all the water for the Education Center and beyond. An exciting advancement at the Center.
Before heading back to Talkeetna I drove into the Denali National park and down to Savage River. A moment to take in some more of Alaska’s beauty. Along my drive I had my very first Moose siting. The beauty was breathtaking. I hope you will peek at the images I posted to see for yourself.
Back in Talkeetna I met Mindy Lindgren at the Denali Arts Council. Mindy is another lover of the outdoors and an educator. Marrying the two she founded an educational program aimed at homeschooling families taking the families on learning adventures across Alaska and down into Mexico. An intensive program that involves a rigorous preparation curriculum and two weeks of in-depth learning and travel at the designated location. She was an educator who understood that the homeschooling students she was reaching were missing out on the wonder of learning through the outdoors.
Mindy’s face glows as she speaks about her 3 year old son who himself will certainly be leading one of these trips before too long!
My last interview was particularly challenging. I knew that it would be emotional because I was meeting with Robert Ambrose who began the Jessica Stevens Community Foundation in memory of his wife and life partner for 24 years. I did not realize that she had passed only two years ago and the emotion was very raw as Robert spoke about the woman he felt I really should have been interviewing.
Jessica and Robert came to Talkeetna for a position Jessica had accepted with the Talkeetna community health center. When they arrived Jessica found the clinic only had $80 in the account and certainly no hopes of succeeding or paying her the salary they promised. Passionate about care for others, Jessica and Robert decided they would make it work and together they built a center that now has federal designation and serves the population of Talkeetna and beyond.
In a tragic occurrence Jessica was killed in a car accident on her way home from the clinic one night leaving her husband and two young sons alone and the community of Talkeetna in shock and mourning.
Robert, the general manager of KTNA a public radio station he founded, decided to create the Foundation and the town decided to name it in his wife’s memory. Jessica’s impact as well as Robert’s will certainly be felt well into the future because of their dedication and commitment to the community and lifestyle in Talkeetna. Jessica’s void will never be replaced but those who loved her will carry on and many new efforts will be started in her name and will succeed in her spirit.
I headed to the airport “sappy” as my daughter would say, both sad and happy. So sad from the pain Robert still feels, sad to be leaving this incredibly majestic state - knowing it will not be so easy for me to return, and yet happy to go home to see Michael and to welcome my baby home from his first experience outdoors at sleep-away camp.
And so we continue, we continue because amazing work is being done all over this country by people like Jessica and it is my mission to meet them and share their stories with you. Next week, Maryland!