For many years the nature center was housed in “Dutton”—the original farmhouse on the property by the lake. It was never in great shape, but every year renovations were done to keep the building standing just a little longer. Karen (“Billie”) Kaiser was the first director of nature that was mentioned in archival notes.

Karen applied in her senior year of high school and Camp Maqua made an age exception for her to become the Nature Director from 1959- 1962. With her interest in Biology, she and her father developed the nature center at camp.

“My Dad and I built the cages and I made charts and we were part of the Infirmary in the beginning.  It was quite a good program, and every year I directed the nature program and the music at camp. I was a good leader, the kids loved the program, and I loved being with kids of all ages. I was fun and I loved my campers. I have wonderful memories of great kids and even a pet goat named “Daisy’ that belonged to the fella who took care of the grounds—Mr. Watson.”

The nature center was home to garter snakes, green snakes, toads, chipmunks, a bat, a crab and many turtles. The library contained many nature books and a collection of butterflies housed in thirty cases. Karen used to run little nature contests, which were quizzes that exposed the girls to nature up close and personal.

In 1966, more improvements were made to “Dutton, by adding new front porch steps, but somewhere in the seventies’, the nature center was relocated to the cook’s cabin, which was on the path to the tennis courts.

The director’s report in 1966 indicated Gail Smith started the nature sessions, but left to attend summer school, and Ann Giebel had also helped out that summer. Her sessions, with continued nature quizzes and the ability to sign up for her class as a “free choice” activity, brought sign-ups that surpassed other sessions.

Dorthe Balaskas noted in her report that the heat was unrelenting in 1966, so not many nature hikes were taken, so snake collecting and microscope work became the interest to the younger campers. (She also indicated that the older campers always had a tough time finding interest in the nature sessions.)

In 1967, Jean Beyer, alias “Bugs” was the director of nature and she received many good comments on her variety of activities. “Jean was a delight to work with and I was confident she was always on the job”,wrote Dorthe. She made a huge impression on the older campers with not only hikes, but collection projects, dissection, and an outdoor aquarium. She also took the girls on two survival overnight trips, which they loved. It was Jean’s first year at Maqua and Dorthe was impressed with her planning and the level of interest generated by her projects.  She was described at soft spoken, but enthusiastic, dependable, cooperative and worked well with her staff. She had a cabin for the first three sessions and was “a fine example to her campers first and foremost” despite a lack of confidence.

Did you enjoy nature studies? What do you remember learning that surprised you?