New parks director, big plans

Barry Wendorff is excited to fashion parks out of raw land

It was a group of school kids at Kathio State Park that pointed Barry Wendorff towards his career in parks.
As a student at Central Lakes Community College Wendorff was assigned to create a game that would teach children about the obstructions fish face when making their way up a stream. By the end of the game, only three of the 20 kids remained, the rest falling victim to predators, fishermen and dams.
"Not many fish can make it upstream if you have all these obstructions," Wendorff told the school children.
And that's when it hit him.
Through games you can educate people and inform them about things they wouldn't otherwise know.
"That's what drew me to parks," said Wendorff.
He set off from Century to Mankato where he earned a degree in recreation, parks, leisure services with an emphasis in resource management. His path took him to California where the Army Corps of Engineers was hiring, and he spent the next fours years supervising volunteers, presenting at schools, and patroling the land around Hensley Lake nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
When his wife gave birth to their firstborn son, the two decided to return home to Minnesota to be near family.
After a stint working as a carpenter, then parks maintenance worker for the city of Plymouth, Wendorff's path led him to Isanti County.
He was hired to replace Steve Nelson as the county's full-time park director in April.
Wendorff has big plans for the county's park. He hopes to offer kayak classes; to organize volunteers to do trail work on National Public Land Day; to promote the park system on Earth Day.
Down the road, Wendorff envisions leading walks through the county's parks, pointing out wildflowers and discussing the various plant life.
He wants to offer interpretive programs and water safety classes for kids, as he did in California.
Wendorff acknowledges that there are few bike paths in the area and hopes to designate a trail system leading between county parks, which fits in with the county's park plan. He thinks a good place to start is between the Springvale and Becklin parks as they are located close together. Active Living by Design is partnering with the county on that project.
Anderson County Park
But for now, Wendorff is focusing on creating parks out of the raw land the county currently owns.
His first step was to remove logs at the Irving and John Anderson County Park in Oxford Township, which is the county's newest acquisition. The trees were removed because oak wilt had struck.
The next step for that park is to begin restoring the prairie. To start, the county will focus on the area off County Road 18. Ten acres will be seeded with native plants this fall. Another 20 have been continuously planted with crops and as they aren't yet overcome with non-native plants, Wendorff believes the native seed bed is still there and will rejuvenate itself with a little help. The areas that the county can't afford to plant this year will grow soybeans again.
A road will also be installed from the county road to a canoe landing on Horseleg Lake. A picnic shelter, trails and a ballfield will be developed in 2010.
Springvale & Becklin parks
At Springvale an asphalt trail and parking will be repaired and sealcoated for the first time since they were installed in 1999. The park tucked off Highway 95 is the county's most visited park with five miles of trails meandering through 211 acres. It was the county's third park, following after Dalbo and Wayside, and most of the property was purchased from the Wolcyn tree farm.
This summer, Wendorff is also focusing on updating the copy on the county's web sites about the parks. He hopes to have that finished in a month.
But perhaps his biggest project this summer is developing Becklin Park. In all, $40,000 will be spent at Becklin Park this year. A road will be installed this summer to lead to a boat access along the Rum River; it will accommodate boats up to 15 feet. A large picnic shelter will also be erected so that families can enjoy a BBQ or picnic near the water.
A wildlife observation platform will also be built. On that project, Wendorff is working with the Department of Natural Resources. The 8x10-foot platform will be constructed by park staff and volunteers to save on the cost.
Another picnic shelter housing a single table will be located away from the river in the old growth pines on the property.
Wendorff hopes to have the work done by late fall.
He dreams of opening another park along the Rum River, giving residents the option of traveling between the two via water.
He sees the Rum River as a major asset of the county, "a wild and scenic route" that should be opened up to citizens.
Vegsund in 2009
Vegsund Park will be the focus of 2009. Work there will include the construction of an access road, fishing pier, canoe access, parking lot, and small picnic shelter.
Beach?
There is no plan for a beach at the moment, noted Wendorff, but he noted that the county is considering purchasing land, possibly along Spectacle Lake, for such a park. As of yet, no particular property has been selected. And, with the recent purchase of the Anderson property, the county's park fund reserve is nearly depleted.
A successful passage of the Legacy amendment could change that and send state grant dollars to Isanti County, but that's only if voters approve the amendment.
Until then, Wendorff intends to make the most of volunteer groups such as the Environmental Coalition and Active Living to finish projects at a low cost to the county.
A limited budget remains his biggest challenge, coupled with a low staff (he's the only one). Also challenging is that so few people are aware of what the county's park system offers.
"We do have six parks scattered throughout the county," said Wendorff. "They're pretty obtainable for anyone that lives in the county."
After holding three jobs in the seven years since he graduated from college, Wendorff feels he's found the job he was looking for.
"I'd like to stay with Isanti County for a long time," he said.

TIDBITS
Barry Wendorff is…
• Married to Michelle
• Father to Jackson, age three, and expecting another child in late November
• Graduate of New Germany class of 1997 and Minnesota State University (Mankato) class of 2001
• Resident of Zimmerman
• Hunter and fisher
• In pursuit of morel mushrooms when spending time in the woods