When Harry Heckathorn was in high school, he took a career test that told him he should be a park ranger. Although his career took him in a different direction, he’s always had an affinity for the great outdoors.
“I grew up in Minnesota, so we did a lot of outdoor stuff in the summer and the winter,” he shares. “So, I’m kind of getting back to that and I enjoy that sort of thing. I didn’t want to do that for a living [because] I enjoyed the excitement of space and astronomy and astrophysics.”
Heckathorn received his master’s degree and PhD in astrophysics from Northwestern University. He began his career as an astrophysicist in 1970, eventually making his way to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to conduct research related to the space shuttle Challenger. In 1986, when the shuttle tragically failed, Heckathorn’s career changed course and he became active in missile defense applications until his retirement in 2006. Since then, Heckathorn has lived in the town Church Creek with his wife, Glenna. After spending time working on his house and enjoying retirement, Heckathorn wanted to get involved as a volunteer. About four years ago, he joined the Friends of Blackwater Board of Directors.
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1933 and is located in Cambridge. The refuge encompasses over 28,000 acres of tidal marshes, forests, freshwater wetlands, and open fields. It’s home to a variety of mammals and serves as a sanctuary for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Friends of Blackwater was founded in 1987 and is a nonprofit group that supports the refuge.
“I got dragged into it,” Heckathorn jokes. “They had a scholarship committee chairman who was retiring, and since I was somewhat academically oriented, they thought that maybe I could do the scholarship stuff. So, they invited me to a meeting, and they twisted my arm, and I decided that was fine; I could do that. I like interfacing with young people and reading what their aspirations are and so on, so that was a fit.”
Every year, Friends of Blackwater awards scholarships to three undergraduate or graduate students. The 2020 recipients will each receive a $3,000 scholarship. According to Heckathorn, the scholarship is mostly geared toward people interested in biological sciences, environmental sciences, and conservation. As scholarship committee chair, Heckathorn works with four other volunteers and is responsible for receiving and vetting the applications.
Since the scholarship committee isn’t active all year, Heckathorn found other ways to contribute to Friends of Blackwater. He has a great passion for building, designing, and problem solving, so he decided to join the projects committee. Heckathorn developed the support structure for the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge gate, updated the osprey camera, and designed, built, and helped install the waterfowl camera. Heckathorn is currently working on designing and installing an eagle camera for the property.
“I knew we had a winner when Harry joined our Friends of Blackwater Board of Directors as our scholarship committee chair,” Friends of Blackwater President Rick Abend says. “While he continues to expand that program, his work on our waterfowl, osprey, and eagle cam systems really stands out. Thousands of visitors, both at the refuge and on our website, have Harry’s leadership and tenacity for attention to detail to thank for many hours of wildlife viewing pleasure.”
It may not be rocket science, but Heckathorn still finds plenty of opportunities to educate himself.
“There’s more stuff to learn with the camera project,” he shares. “There’s a lot of stuff I just didn’t know about at all. Every day when I have to go find a piece of equipment or solve a problem, there’s something I learn, so I like that.”
“It’s great working with Harry,” Abend says. “Give him a job and you know it will be done correctly. Harry is making his mark as a super volunteer. Many of his projects will be enjoyed by the public for many years to come.”
For more information on Friends of Blackwater, visit friendsofblackwater.org
