Frontiers Summer 1999

A marriage of minds

For these two alums, Itasca has a special significance.

By Angelo Gentile

An excited group of students at the University's Lake Itasca Forestry and Biological Station were crowding together near the flagpole for a closer look at something.

Darby Nelson, a graduate student conducting research at Itasca, wandered over to see what the fuss was about.

"Someone had found a leech with numerous young attached to it and was showing it off," Nelson recalls of that summer day in 1966.

That type of shared excitement about biology and environmental elements continues to be a significant ingredient of the Itasca experience, says Nelson. "Once there, everybody is nuts about biology. At Itasca, you could get excited about these things and give evidence of your excitement and not feel out of place. It's a total immersion atmosphere where everything that is being studied or researched is neat to everyone who is there Š from black fly larvae to limnological sampling."

That day in the summer of 1966 was particularly special to Nelson. As he remembers, the leech with numerous young attached to it "was a neat sight, and so was the girl across from me in the circle of people that had gathered. She was a new student for second session and I connived to walk her to the dining hall for a Dr. Pepper when the gathering broke up." Two years later, they married.

Geri Nelson, Darby's wife, remembers that meeting in just about the same way, and she also recalls the total immersion atmosphere of Itasca. She remembers "sitting in the dining hall and having everyone so excited about each other's research. Everyone would talk about what they were doing, and people would offer ideas to each other."

To help ensure that this excitement about science, biology, and the environment continues, the Nelsons recently made a bequest to support the field station. "We met at Itasca Š so it has a special meaning in our lives," they commented in a recent University publication. "The work of students and faculty at the field station has made a tremendous impact on environmental research."

The Nelsons continue to make their own impact as teachers. Darby, who received two bachelor's degrees, a master's degree, and a Ph.D., all from the University, has been on the biology department faculty at Anoka-Ramsey Community College since 1966. Geri, who received a bachelor's degree in 1968 as one of the first graduates of the then-newly organized College of Biological Sciences, teaches physical and research science at Champlin Park High School.

Darby has received an impressive number of teaching awards, including Golden and Silver Chalk Awards, honors voted on by Anoka-Ramsey students.

"He's been a leader in our science area," says Sandy Hitch, an administrator at Anoka-Ramsey. "He's been teaching all of these years and yet the students, in voting him these awards, most often comment on his enthusiasm and passion for his subject."

Darby also served three terms in Minnesota's House of Representatives (1983-1988), using his problem-solving skills as a scientist to pass legislation on a number of environment-related issues.

Geri has been active with a variety of organizations including the Minnesota Academy of Science, which promotes science education throughout Minnesota. She served for the past three years with that group as director of the academy's state science fair.

The Nelsons also spend time canoeing in places such as Alaska, enjoying the environmental elements that they teach their students about.

Appropriately, the first time they paddled together was also at Itasca. As Darby remembers, "After supper, we'd study. Then we'd take a canoe out and when the moon was shining on the lake, we'd paddle the moon path."

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