Wherein we learn how the theme of a famous baseball movie relates to the restoration of the Limberlost

By Curt Burnette


In the 1989 movie, Field of Dreams, farmer Ray Kinsella hears a voice whisper to him as he walks through his cornfield in Iowa. The voice tells him, "If you build it, he will come." In this fantasy movie, Ray builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield and long dead baseball players such as Shoeless Joe Jackson magically appear to play. Ray's long estranged father also shows up as the young catcher behind home plate, and he and Ray make some amends. At one point, Ray s told that people will come to his field, they will be drawn there. And, at the end of the movie, hundreds of people are seen driving down the road to the "field of dreams: to watch the "big show", as major league baseball is called.

I don't think Ken Brunswick heard any voices when he began his quest of restoring portions of the Limberlost. (Did you Ken?) nevertheless, the theme of the movie is relevant to what is happening with the restoration of the Limberlost. Instead of saying "If you build it, he will come", it could be said of the Limberlost, "If you restore it, they will come." 

"They" in this instance would be birds of all sorts and types. The marshes, forests, and prairie-like areas of the Limberlost provide wonderful habitat for all kinds of migrating and nesting birds. Species of birds whose numbers had dwindled in this area are reappearing. Even one species never seen here before, the black-necked stilt, has recently been sighted. Migratory waterfowl such as tundra swans and pintail duck stop over on their journeys and sometimes spend the winter, if it is mild enough. Winter visitors from the north such as northern harrier hawks and short-eared owls find refuge here. Both of these species are listed as endangered in Indiana. And many, many birds such as eastern kingbirds, indigo buntings, spotted sandpipers, and dickcissel nest in the Limberlost. 

Birds are like the baseball players in the movie who came to take advantage of the ball field after Ray created it. But baseball fans also came to the field to watch the players. Our comparison of the Limberlost to the field of dreams still holds true there. As more and more birds come to the Limberlost to the Limberlost to "play", more and more bird "fans" will come to watch. Birdwatchers, known nowadays as "birders", will travel far and wide to areas where birds are plentiful. Much like baseball fans who buy hot dogs and peanuts while watching the game, birders buy gasoline and lunch and souvenirs when they come to a birding site. Dollars spent by outsiders is good for our communities. Like building a ballpark in a cornfield, Ken Brunswick's field of dreams has returned over 1600 acres [currently about 1800 acres] of opportunity to the Land of the Limberlost. Hundreds of people are already driving down the roads to watch the "show."

Source: First published in the Limberlost Notebook column in the Berne Witness in June 2013.

Blue-winged teal by Bill Hubbard

Dickcissel by Kimberley Roll

Black-necked stilt

Pintails along with some mallards

Sandpiper

Wherein our columnist mulls over the symbolism of a nation rescuing its national symbol
By Curt Burnette

The bald eagle became the unofficial symbol of the U.S. as part of the Great Seal of the United States when it was adopted on June 20, 1782.  The official designation as our national bird and symbol did not occur for another seven years, in 1789. During those seven years, there were those who felt the bald eagle was not the best symbol for our new country. most Famously, Benjamin Franklin thought bald eagles were "of bad moral character" and so he suggested the wild turkey would be more suitable. Obviously, Ben's argument did not succeed. 

As amazing and brilliant as Benjamin Franklin was, most Americans would have to say it is a good thing he didn't have his way on that particular issue. it is hard now, these many years later, to think of our nation and not think also of our majestic national symbol. but what would our founding fathers have thought if they could have looked ahead and seen a future where the symbol of their new nation was vanishing? Would they have wondered about the greatness of their new United States, a nation that selected a national symbol that had become threatened by the growth of this young country? Was this the nation they envisioned ? Probably not, but if they were to look a bit farther into the future, into our modern time, they would indeed see a wonderful example of a people who saw their national symbol in trouble---and did something about it. This was surely the kind of nation they thought they were creating. 

Bald eagles were common in this country before it was settled, but wetland destruction and human persecution resulted in their disappearance from much of the country, even by Gene Stratton-Porter's time. It is unlikely she ever saw them as she wondered Limberlost. the last recorded nest in Indiana was 1895. Then, in the middle of the 1900s, the widespread use of the Insecticide DDT caused the eggshells of the few remaining breeding eagles to think and crack, so an already damaged population was weakened further. Bald eagles still were plentiful in Alaska, but in the rest of the states our national symbol was in serious trouble. 

Our nation then did what great nations do---study the problem, understand what steps need to be taken, and do what is necessary. DDT was banned. Many wetlands were restored. Protective laws were passed. Eagles were reintroduced back into many areas they had vanished from, including Indiana. Between 1985 and 1989, 73 young eagles were released in Indiana., and by 1991 the first chicks were hatched. by the mid-1990s, there were a dozen nesting sties in our state. In 2013, the DNR quit counting nests because there were too many to keep track of---over 300!

We take great pride in our national flag and have rules on the proper ways to display it and dispose of worn ones. Why should we show less care and concern for our national symbol? The United States of America is not a country that would allow ts national symbol to vanish without a fight. The battle was won. Bald eagles are back and doing better than ever. We have yet another reason for our citizens to proclaim they are "proud to be an American."

Note: This article was first published in the Berne Witness Limberlost Notebook column in June 2015.

The pair of nesting eagles at the Loblolly Marsh. Photo by Kimberley Roll taken in February 2019.

Nesting eagle in Geneva on the Limberlost Swamp Wetland Preserve. Photo by Jeff White in March 2019.

Bald eagle by Kimberley Roll. 

Wherein the Miller Family
Became Lifelong Friends of Gene Stratton-Porter

By Terri Gorney

The Miller and Aspy families were early settlers of Geneva and well known in the community. Gene Stratton-Porter would become friends with three generations of this extended family. She would photograph the old cabin on the Aspy farm and place it in Friends in Feathers. 

Andrew Jackson Miller married Sarah Aspy. They would raise a family of six children; three who would have a close connection to Gene. They were: Lorene, Ray, and Sarah.

Sarah Miller was the same age as Gene's daughter Jeannette. They were girlhood friends. Gene would photograph Sarah and Jeannette playing together at the Limberlost Cabin.

Raymond Miller according to Gene in Homing with the Birds, was "first assistant in field work in the region of the Limberlost. For him, no day was too hot, no tree too high, no swamp too treacherous. In years of field work, he never refused any hazard I suggested we undertake." Gene photographed Raymond in this same book. 

Lorene Miller would become her secretary in 1908. It was a position she would hold for seven years. Lorene wrote about a special Valentine's Day when she worked for Gene. It was February 14 1911, the day that Gene began writing The Harvester  while sitting at the desk next to the east window in the library after breakfast. Lorene shared several fond memories of Gene in later interviews.

Lorene made the decision to continue in Gene's employ when she left Geneva and moved north to build Wildflower Woods. It was a decision that would change her life. In 1913, she met Frank Wallace whom Gene hired to help her with the plantings on her new land. Two years later, Lorene and Frank quietly married on a June day in the gardens of Wildflower Woods. Gene hosted the bridal celebration.

Frank would go on to become the state entomologist, thanks in part to Gene who wrote to Governor Rolston to ask that he be hired. It was a position that he would hold for 43 years.

Gene would remain lifelong friends with Frank and Lorene. The Wallaces usually spent time with Gene in the summer months. Lorene and her young son, John, visited Gene in California the summer before she died. Frank wrote Gene a birthday card that same August in which he stated how much her friendship meant to him. The last letter she wrote was to Frank. He received it a few days after she died in December 1924. 

In 1946, when both Wildflower Woods and the Limberlost were being considered as historic sites, Frank knew many influential people and was a well liked and respected employee of the state. Frank was definitely one of Gene Stratton-Porter's biggest fans, and we know that Lorene had many fond memories of the time she spent living in the Limberlost Cabin in Geneva working for Mrs. Porter. 

​
Note: This article was in the Limberlost Notebook column in the Berne Witness in November 2018.

Mike Miller and Liz Miller, great nephew and niece of Lorene and Raymond Miller. 

Photo of the Limberlost Cabin in the 1940s in Geneva. Photo compliments of Becca James.