Parents fulfill son's dying request by donating wetland

By Les Winkeler, The Southern

BELKNAP -- Emotions rushed to the surface as Bob and Lynn Wolff of Makanda stood at the edge of the Michael Wolff Memorial Wetland, located at the Cache River State Natural Area.

Cache River State Natural Area Site Superintendent Jim Waycuilis (left) and Bob and Lynn Wolff stand next to the wetland area that the Wolff's donated in honor of their late son Michael. PAUL NEWTON / THE SOUTHERN

The 15-acre complex is named in honor of their son. The wetland is also the fulfillment of his dying request. Michael William Wolff, an employee of the Missouri Department of Conservation, was 30 years old when he died April 11, 2004 following a 10-month battle with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

"It's just a little overwhelming sometimes," Lynn Wolff said. "I'm just glad it all came together."

"It just illustrates what can happen if people develop a central focus on something that is good and worthwhile," her husband added. "I hope one more time before I get too old, I can go duck hunting out there. It's about come full circle."

Wolff's parents believe their son would be pleased with the wetland complex. The wetland consists of three pools, ranging from 3.1 to 6-7 acres. The water level in the pools can be manipulated for crops or attracting shorebirds.

The construction was completed recently. Now, it's a matter of Mother Nature filling the pools and the construction of a kiosk that will tell the story of a young man who loved hunting and fishing and how the wetlands came to be.

"Michael grew up with the Shawnee Forest as his backyard, his playground," Lynn Wolff said.

"He and I used to go duck hunting when he was 8-9 years old," Bob Wolff said. '"We'd go duck hunting before he'd go to school. He'd get up at 3:30 a.m. to go duck hunting and he'd be ready to go the next morning."

That passion for the outdoors never waned. He was employed for the Missouri Department of Conservation, working on improving waterfowl habitat, when illness struck.

"He never really gave up hope and wouldn't let us either," Lynn Wolff said. "Three days before he died we about lost him. We asked him how he wanted to be remembered.

"He was so clear. We knew he had been thinking about it."

The wetland was his dying wish. The Michael Wolff Memorial Wetland Foundation was established to accept donations. Other funds were donated through competitive archery events and the Southern Illinois Birding Fest.

Michael's widow, Jennifer, was instrumental in organizing the fund-raising.

Originally, the Wolffs had hoped to build the wetland in Missouri. However, when the location near Belknap became available, the project moved forward.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service donated the engineering and structure design.

"That had a value of $20-25,000 I would estimate," said Jim Waycuilis, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' site superintendent at the Cache River State Natural Area. "IDNR provided the land and I assisted with orchestrating the contracts."

However, there were many players in this project, including The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Friends of the Cache.

Waycuilis said the wetland is not only a fitting tribute, but will have a marked effect on the area. He said about 70 species of birds are regularly spotted in the area during the annual Birding Blitz. That number could increase to 100 with the completion of the wetlands.

Now, it is just a matter of getting enough rainfall to fill the three pools.

"I think Michael would be very, very proud of it," Lynn Wolff said.

More information on the foundation and the project can be found at www.mwmwf.org.

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com

351-5088