ENHS Nature Trails September 2002 Article 3

Jim Kezer Memorial

On Saturday August 3, many of Jim Kezer's old friends and colleagues gathered at Hidden Lake to remember Jim and to scatter his ashes in the place that he loved so very much. Our meeting place beside the lake was in a magnificent grove of huge old hemlocks and firs just a few steps from the sundew bog which Jim so enjoyed showing to friends who came with him to the lake. On the opposite side of the road from the lakeside spot was a steep forested slope, home to Batrachoceps wrighti always an object of Jim's delighted searches. Though no one found it, somewhere at the bottom of this slope lies the little pond where Jim got the alga Nitella for his laboratory demonstrations of streaming cytoplasm. Now Jim rests in this beloved and beautiful place, and we have the memory of a wonderful day spent with friends, old and new, from around the world.

Jim's last doctoral student, Pedro Leon, came from Costa Rica, and research collaborator Takeshi Seto and his wife Mitsue came from Japan to be with us as we said good-bye to Jim. Other colleagues and students who came from afar were Stan Sessions, professor at Hartwick College, and his wife Marti and son Alex, Dave Wake from Berkeley, and naturalist Jay Bowerman and his wife Theresa from Sun River. Jim's caretakers Harry and Shirley Roberts were there with their granddaughter who wanted people to find her a salamander just like Jim used to catch.

What a challenge in the midst of the hottest driest summer in recent memory! Well, maybe it was the company, (such a gathering of outdoors persons and salamander experts!) or maybe Jim's spirit was smiling kindly on the day, because not just one, but several Batrachaceps, even a little tiny "baby" one, presented themselves to the hunters. Dave Wagner went hiking to the little brushy meadow where Jim had showed him adder's tongue fern, Ophioglossum pusillum and leatherleaf grape Fern, Botrychium multifidum, when Dave first moved to Eugene, and he came back with specimens of each to show the crowd. We had a wonderful picnic lunch and there were many fascinating conversations about natural history and the environment. The best stories were those about field trips with Jim in Mexico.

In the evening there was a potluck at the Kimmel farm and the eating and good stories went on into the dark. ENHS folks who helped make this such a wonderful day were as follows: (hope I didn't leave anyone out)Tom and Kim Titus, Eric Schabtach, Nora Terwilliger, Jessica Schabtach, Dave and Connie Wagner, Ruth and Cliff Bremiller. Nathan and Tasker Tublitz, Marg Zane, Karen Ailor, Chuck and Reida Kimmel. Special thanks to new ENHS members Jay and Theresa Bowerman for their amazing helpfulness. In Jim's words, "Truly a dedicatory moment! OSKEWAWA!"

Reida Kimmel

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