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Enticing by nature, with Wil Reding
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By JEREMY LAND
John Muir once said, “I live only to entice people to look at
nature,” – and Wil Reding has adopted the same philosophy.
The presentations Reding brought to the Kirtland’s Warbler
Festival last year as well as those he’ll make to area
schoolchildren this year reflect that. No matter the age, his
audiences are very much aware of what he talks about, for his
method of delivery is a unique one: He takes on the role of
someone to whom the story is important, such as the wandering
woodsman in this year's Yas Ennya Oyaka.
Reding is a member of the Michigan Audubon Society and the
Kalamazoo Audubon, organizations involved in the study of birds,
conservation, and – what Reding is most interested in – education.
He teaches people how to get physically into the environment to
learn more about nature.
Reding has spent his life with nature. He named South Manitou
Island his favorite place, having been there 37 times. In two
years, he wants to take a 1,000-mile hike from Louisville, Ky., to
the Cedar Keys in Florida – the same trip that Muir, his
inspiration, took. |
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