History Mysteries

 History:
 
Great Lakes Young Writers is in the process of developing a number of Great Lakes History Mysteries Projects (GLHM).  This will allow young people to unravel dramatic events in their own communities through the use of primary and secondary sources. GLHM is being counseled by the much heralded Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History, www.canadianmysteries.ca.  Some of the efforts underway include:
 
a.  Wild Writers Northern Michigan Mysteries: Forensics experts were on site to help young writers.  Wild Writers unearth their imaginations and explore their creativity through poetry, short stories, creative nonfiction, songs, and other genres in this nature based mystery workshop that dives into some of the area’s local history.  The workshop took place Tuesday July 20, 1-5 p.m., Otsego Conservation District Demonstration Garden, located on Livingston Avenue in Gaylord.  For more information contact Jessica Kane at (989) 732-4021, www.otsego.org/conservationdistrict.  This program was offered through a partnership with the Otsego Conservation District and Otsego County Public Library.  This workshop was so popular that another is planned for next year (see feature story below)

b. The Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary is developing a history mystery workshop for area young people focused on a shipwreck in their area. 
c.  GLYW is cooperating with the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance "Where do the Children Play" project and East Michigan Environmental Action Council to develop writing workshops at historic lighthouses throughout the Great Lakes region.

“Young Writers’ Imaginations Run Wild at Summer Writing Program”
“I love getting to sit down with nature and write.”
Andrew, one of the participants in this summer’s Wild Writers program, captured the sentiments of his fellow writers who attended the July 20th and August 10th half day programs.
I had the pleasure of working with some very creative young minds from the Gaylord area this summer. They provided a refreshing diversion from the college classes I teach.
To kick off each program, a conservation officer arrived on the scene at the Otsego Conservation District Garden to present the mystery that is set in the Pigeon River State Forest.
On July 20th Officer Nick Torsky was the first to show a group of eager 4th through 8th graders the evidence that had been carefully collected and preserved. A tattered and worn map of Green Timbers, an area of the Forest that was purchased by the state from private owners some years ago, had a letter scrawled on the other side.
This letter was written by someone named Raven, a person who claims to have made the state forest his or her home for many years. The letter discusses campers and hikers who pass through the forest every day and how Raven witnesses some of them deeply respecting the land and its inhabitants, while others are more destructive.
“Please come and enjoy the many splendors this land holds, but I beg you, leave no trace. I’m watching.” These are the final words etched on this mysterious document.
On August 10th, Conservation Officer Mark DePew discussed the role he and his fellow officers play in the forest.
“We’re here to protect people, the land, and its wildlife.” As far as he and Officer Torsky knew, there had been no reports of Raven doing anything malicious to anyone, so he assured the young people that this character seemed to be most likely on their side.
The Wild Writers participants used guidebooks about wildlife, plants, flowers, and wilderness survival to write about different facets of this mystery. The results were poems, short stories, news reports, essays, skits, nature journals, and other creative writings that incorporated many of the natural elements that surrounded them.
On both days, the writers discovered artifacts in the garden and forest that helped inspire them to write. Mini mysteries sprang up from some of these artifacts and other discoveries along the way.
“We have no idea where the rocks came from.” Huron Pines AmeriCorps volunteer Jessica Kane, who serves with the Conservation District, commented on the dozens of rocks scattered throughout the garden and forest that had messages penned on them.
“Live in the moment. Think. Be happy” were some of the points to ponder. And some of the writers did just that by weaving those words from the stones into their own writing.
And then reports of “the bare foot man” began trickling in.
“He was humming a song and studying the plants.” One of the writers wondered if he wasn’t Raven. Everyone reported that this man was peacefully minding his own business, yet curious about their writing from a distance.
Our investigation of this mysterious man, who ended up appearing in many of the youngsters’ writing by the end of the day, revealed that “the bare foot man” was one of my former composition students.
“I should have known that you would have something to do with all those children hunched over their notebooks as they wrote furiously in the woods.” Aaron teased.
“I should have known that you would be the bare foot man.” I teased back.
As the final program was winding down, I told Aaron how pleased I was with how much everyone had learned about nature and writing. And they had worked on solving a mystery in the process.
“Nature can inspire you.” Those words written on one of the writers’ surveys seems to sum up the whole experience. Nature did indeed inspire these young people to take a walk on the creative and wild side.
I might just have to take some of my older writing students out to the garden to see what they can dig up once school’s back in session.
For information about the Conservation Garden and Forest, please contact Jessica Kane at 989-732-4021. To find out more about the young people’s work, which will be on display at the Otsego County Library at the end of August, contact Cathy Campbell at 989-732-5841.
Wild Writers is made possible by the Otsego Conservation District, the Otsego County Library, and Great Lakes Young Writers. This year’s program was sponsored in part by Wal-Mart of Gaylord.
 
Look for more tales from the farm and its surroundings every week here in The Market Place.
            Shelley St. Ange-Sheldon teaches English classes at North Central Michigan College and Kirtland Community College. She is a freelance writer and writing consultant who enjoys raising animals with her husband at Creative Haven Farm. She can be reached at creativehavenfarms@