Environmental Federation of Oregon

Environmental work is about making connections: seeing the relationships between plants, animals, weather, water. But even more than that, it is about relationships between people. Progress in any direction, whether it is protection of open spaces or improvement in recycling, is propelled by the actions of people who imagined a different world and committed themselves to making it happen. And for EFO affiliate organizations, the key to many successful efforts resides in the volunteers who sign up to help.

Whether in office work or field trips, public speaking or teaching children, volunteers for EFO member affiliates make our work possible. We've chosen to highlight here one volunteer among hundreds to illustrate the diversity of talents and interests donated for our benefit.

"At age four, I knew I wanted to be a fish lady," laughs Nancy MacHugh, the former Assistant Director of Habitat Conservation for Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODF&W).

A self-proclaimed "border child" who grew up in Vancouver, Washington, and attended school in Portland, Nancy's early love of fish was spawned by her father, who she describes as a "consummate fisherman." Before she'd even completed her Master's degree in Fisheries Science at Oregon State University, Nancy had already begun to work for ODF&W. "My thesis on winter steelhead in the Alsea River sat on the dining room table for two years because I was so busy doing steelhead research for ODF&W," she recalls. After ten years as a researcher, Nancy moved into the manager's chair, joining a team assigned to develop the first steelhead management plan for the state of Oregon in 1982.

It was when she moved to the Habitat Division that her concern about steelhead survival dovetailed with her interest in educating children. "I knew people from Oregon Trout through my involvement with the Steelheaders, and I enjoy doing anything dealing with kids," she explains.

So four years ago, already handicapped by multiple sclerosis and dependent on a walker, Nancy volunteered to lead discussions among school children participating in Oregon Trout's Salmon Watch program. "I'd take my walker down to the stream and start asking the kids questions. What kind of fish are these? What season is it? I'd try to make them think of the reasons behind everything. After a while, they want to get even and they start asking me questions," Nancy laughs. Her voice is deep and hearty, punctuated by easy laughter and edged with a steely determination. Despite being forced into early retirement by her disease, Nancy still fishes as often as she can, and volunteers as president of the South Santiam Watershed Council, a group responsible for monitoring water quality in the South Santiam River.

"Salmon Watch is so important," she says. "So many of the kids have never been on the water. They're like the people commuting on I-5 who are just looking at the cars ahead of them, not seeing the birds and the foxes along the way. I try to get them to open their eyes."