Mary Linton was a wetland scientist and poet who also served as Wisconsin Wetlands Association (WWA) Board Chair for many years. She founded an annual session at WWA’s Wetland Science Conference in 2014 to provide a poetic interlude in the midst of the conference’s scientific presentations. Alzheimer’s disease took Mary far too early in 2021, and since her passing, friends have worked to publish more of Mary’s poetry. The volume “Way Will Open” will be released this fall. Join us for this special Wetland Coffee Break to honor Mary’s memory and celebrate her craft as a poet. Friends Ann Engelman, Tod Highsmith, Mike Mossman, Alice Thompson, and others will read Mary’s poems, including some from the forthcoming volume. We’ll also share information about a public October 1 bench dedication and book launch event honoring Mary.

Ann Engelman, Tod Highsmith, Mike Mossman, Alice Thompson

Recorded September 8, 2023

Ann Engelman is the editor of the forthcoming volume of Mary Linton’s poetry. She retired as a consultant to public broadcasting and non-profit organizations and is currently on the board of the Friends of Lorine Niedecker. She lives in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.  Tod Highsmith is a retired writer and editor in the conservation sciences and Treasurer of the WWA Board of Directors. His career includes stints as an environmental educator, ornithological researcher, and staff journalist for an international bird conservation organization. Michael Mossman is a retired WDNR ecologist who has worked on and enjoyed the Lower Wisconsin River for decades, contributing to its Important Bird Area status and to its WDNR master plan. He is also a musician and poet. Alice Thompson is principal scientist and owner of Thompson and Associates Wetland Services, LLC. Thompson’s expertise includes wetland delineation, natural areas and wetland restoration, wetland mitigation, monitoring, and invasive species control. She is also a poet.