Lou Beck

Fred Spar

Good morning and thank you all for joining us today, as we celebrate the coming of spring (today’s weather notwithstanding) and the return of the birds, and as we dedicate a memorial to a dear friend, Lou Beck.

I’d like to begin with a bit of history and some acknowledgments for the many people who have helped make the Rogers Refuge a special place for birders and – we fervently hope – for birds. We can start at the beginning, with the vision of Tom and Margot Southerland, along with Tom Poole and others, to preserve this unusual confluence of habitats by bringing together what was once known as the Princeton Water Company and what was once known as the Township of Princeton to create a conservation easement. That easement preserved this 39-acre site between the Stony Brook and the IAS Woods and made it accessible to birders and others who enjoy the natural environment. That was back in 1968 – nearly a half century ago – and given some of the changes in the surrounding area, we can only imagine what might have become of this place without that agreement.

The town and the water company continue to provide important support for the Refuge, for which we are very grateful. The town – specifically the Public Works Department – turns on in March and turns off for the winter the pump that brings water up from the Stony Brook to maintain the water level in the upper and lower marsh. A big thanks to Chris Torres and his crew.

New Jersey American Water supplies electricity for the pump, repairs the road, has allowed us to plant trees on the property, assuring us that we won’t dig into a water pipe, and shares its gravel pile with us.

I’d like to thank a number of individuals who have made important contributions to maintaining and improving the Refuge:

Our Chief Infrastructure Officer – Clark Lennon, who built the bridges and boardwalks that make a walk along the Marsh Loop and connecting trails so much simpler (and who also reconfigured and repaired some curious Boy Scout projects, including what was formerly known as the bridge to nowhere).

Our Chief Engineer – Charles Magee, who over the course of many weekends helped us figure out how to set up the architectural wonder that is our new Purple Martin resort;

Ted Thomas – Head of Operations, who organized the work teams that helped construct the boardwalks and bridges and kept everyone on task to his exacting standards;

Eric Tazelaar – Chief Woodcutter, who helped clear the trails of the casualties of Sandy, Irene, and other storms.

And a special shout out to Lee and Melinda Varian, our indefatigable trailblazers, who gravel pail by gravel pail laid out paths, filled in sink holes, and in an incredible display of persistence posted trail markers around the loop trail, not just once but twice, after the first set was vandalized. And a thank you as well to Melinda for establishing and curating the log book. 2016 marks the 5th anniversary of the log, which aside from a few censorable entries has been a valuable record of sightings.

I’d also like to acknowledge the assistance of Friends of Princeton Open Space, who serve as custodians of the funds of the Friends of the Rogers Refuge and enable us to enjoy 501C-3 tax exempt status.

And finally, we express our deep appreciation for the support of Washington Crossing Audubon Society whose generosity over the past decade has enabled the construction of the second observation platform and the bird blind, the purchase of the hose to pump water into the lower marsh, the planting of willow trees, and the purchase of supplies for building the boardwalks and bridges. It also enables our continuing efforts to manage Phragmites and other invasives, and a Holden Grant from Washington Crossing Audubon Society this past year supported creation of the informational signage, which you have seen or will see today.

And now, for all of this and more, we give special thanks to a dear friend, a man much beloved in the birding world, and I’m sure, if we understood their language, in the world of birds as well – Lou Beck. I don’t know exactly when we first met Lou, but Winnie and I have walked through the refuge and the woods with him, exchanged notes on sightings, and joined with Christmas Counts and Bird-a-thons he helped organize for the better part of three decades. His kindness, his patience, his love of birds and his joy in sharing that with so many people were admired by all who knew him. As President of the Washington Crossing Audubon Society he was a strong advocate for the birds and habitat preservation, and his impact was especially present in the many Audubon Society projects here at the Refuge that I just mentioned. It is a small gesture of thanks that today we dedicate a trail of Bluebird houses, Wood Duck boxes, homes for Tree Swallows, and a beautiful summer resort complex for Purple Martins to honor his memory. Not sure if our birds really distinguish between the Motel Sixes which remain out there and the Ritz Carltons we have built, but we hope we’ve created and enhanced a welcoming space for them. And we hope that when you see a pair of Bluebirds or a colony of Martins out there around the marsh, you’ll tip your cap and honor the memory of Lou Beck. And to the Beck Family, thank you for sharing Lou with us and for honoring us today with your presence.

It is our great pleasure to establish this memorial in Lou’s memory and to recognize it on the plaque on the platform which reads:

LOU BECK MEMORIAL

Nesting boxes for Purple Martins, Tree Swallows, Bluebirds and Wood Ducks, placed throughout the refuge as well as in the Institute Woods, are dedicated to the memory of Lou Beck, former President of Washington Crossing Audubon Society, who led regular walks through this area and introduced many people to the pleasures of birding. He was devoted to the preservation of this Refuge and habitats for birds.

Thank you all for coming. Let’s enjoy some refreshments, and then a short hike around the upper marsh.

Fred Spar