Paul Gruchow was a good friend of mine and my mentor.
His writing is always inspirational, and I recall with great fondness our many excursions in the outdoors. About twelve years ago I had the honor of illustrating a book of his essays about Scientific and Natural Areas called “Worlds Within A World.” Due to a very short publication deadline I only had the opportunity to illustrate a handful of the essays, the rest were illustrated with stock photography. Yet, I cannot tell you how much fun it was to read the essays and then venture out to explore and photograph the places the essays depicted.
Paul was one of Minnesota’s foremost naturalists and probably our best outdoor writer. His passion for the outdoors and nature came through in his writing and his teaching. Our excursions into bogs, prairies, or the north woods was like having my own personal tutor about all things natural. Exploring nature with Paul was always an adventure and he loved sharing what he knew.
Sadly Paul died a little over six years ago. I have decided to include a regular column of quotes from his writings as a remembrance and promotion of his work. I hope you find as much inspiration in his words as I have.
If you come up north stop by the gallery–the teapot is always on.