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Ralph Kinter
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 Favorite Flower: Trillium or Golden Rod
Favorite Plant: : All plants, ugly or pretty
Favorite Habitat:
wetlands
I asked some of Ralph's friends about his favorite things, and
the conclusion is that he didn't really have many favorites
— he loved it all! |
Remembrance of a Hero
Written by Producer, Kelly Meinhart
 f
you look at your life and the people you've met along the way,
you begin to see that certain people have made particular impacts
on your personality and the paths you have chosen. Those who
have made positive impacts tend to come to mind first.
 or
myself, one of those folks would be Ralph Kinter. I met Ralph
a few years back when I was working with the Pennsylvania Audubon
Society; just one of Ralph's many volunteer efforts. And it's
to him that I can accredit one of my quotes to live by: "It's
the simple things that mean something special — to those
who want to see it."
 alph
certainly saw the simple things, and the beauty in all of nature.
He spent much of his life, with wife Anna by his side, studying
wetland plants and animals, identifying rare plants, founding
volunteer organizations, and just 'being' in the field. Ralph
is responsible for the formation of a handful of environmental
groups in the Central Pennsylvania area including the Susquehanna
Appalachian Trail Club, the Keystone Trails Association, the
Stoney Creek Coalition, and the Governor Pinchot group of the
Sierra Club.
 long
with these accomplishments, Ralph also worked with local garden
clubs, the Nature Conservancy, the Audubon Society, and The
Friends of Wildwood, with many more to mention. In 1986 he launched
the Appalachian Audubon's "Wetland Watch" program, and began
to study the plants and soils of the Susquehanna Valley area,
and created reports to prove the presence of wetlands. These
reports were regarded by Government agencies as scientifically
valid, and many wetlands in Central PA were spared from development
because of the work that Ralph had done to prove their presence.
From his work in documenting wetlands, Ralph was widely regarded
as one of the most credible citizen-scientists, leading the
effort to save wetlands.
or
his work with wetlands he was awarded the Earth Defenders Award"
by the National Audubon Society in 1992, and was named "Conservationist
of the Year" by the PA Audubon Council.
feel so much that I am just skimming the surface of Ralph's
efforts to protect the environment, for if we were to list them
all— we would have pages and pages of people, projects,
and programs that he was involved with. But if you look at the
accomplishments and what his goals were behind his involvement,
I would say that his goals were not only to save wetlands and
wildernesses, but also to educate both children and adults about
the little things, and how every little thing fits so nicely
into it's own niche' in the big picture of our natural world.
alph
sadly passed away in September 2002. A memorial, or celebration
of Ralph's life was held at the Wildwood Nature Center at Wildwood
Lake where friends and fellow volunteers gathered to share stories,
photos, poems, and memories of this wonderfully insightful friend.
Ralph will be sorely missed in the environmental community,
but I think that no matter how much sadness surrounds us from
his loss, that you cannot help but smile when thinking of Ralph.
•The Dauphin County Commissioners, for his conservation
efforts at the Wildwood Lake Sanctuary, honored Ralph in August
2000. You can watch this video now at: A
Tribute to Ralph Kinter. You can also learn more about the
Wildwood Nature Center, and the wetlands where it's located
by visiting the GreenWorks Production: Go
Out! Environmental Education Centers.
See past Watershed Heroes here!
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