December 23, 2014 at 3:00 p.m.
Ced Vig's legacy continues in form of outdoor classroom
Ced Vig's legacy continues in form of outdoor classroom
By By Kyle Rogers-
This is the type of experience one might have at the present moment upon spending a couple hours at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom, the School District of Rhinelander's environmental sciences learning laboratory just outside the city limits. And that's why it's appropriate that the outdoor classroom bears Vig's name. Not only was Vig a staple of the Rhinelander education scene for more than two decades, spending most of that time as superintendent until his retirement in 1977, he was also an ardent lover of nature and throughout his life worked to help others gain that same appreciation. Much of that was accomplished with his column "Wisconsin Woodsmoke," which began appearing in the Rhinelander Daily News in the early 1960s, and contained Vig's observations about the everyday happenings of the natural world. Believing that many outdoor columns already thoroughly covered topics like hunting and fishing, Vig's objective was simply nature appreciation and in his writing it is apparent he had a knack for setting a scene. With the Christmas holiday near, take this passage from one of Vig's columns:
"It's snowing outside. A fire is crackling and flaming in the fireplace. A balsam fir, decorated to its hilt, stands glimmering in the corner. The woodsy fragrance of balsam and woodsmoke permeates through our living room. Looking out the large picture window, I see a small chickadee flock working the suet bag and sunflower seed dispenser. Like all Wisconsinites, I admire the friendly blackcaps. They could well be our state bird - seldom do they attempt to escape from the Northwoods' cold and snowy winter."
And seldom did Vig himself stray from the Northwoods. He was born in Hawkins in 1912 and eventually became principal at his high school alma mater after receiving his bachelor's degree at Central State College in Stevens Point. From there he earned a master's from the University of Minnesota and followed that with a stint as principal at a high school in Ashland from 1939 to 1946. Vig then came to Rhinelander for the first time, serving as principal at the high school for two years. After serving as superintendent in New Richmond from 1948 to 1954, Vig returned to Rhinelander for a second time. He was named superintendent following the retirement of Walter Kruschke, and served in that capacity until his own retirement in 1977. It was under Vig's watch that a new high school was built in the late 1950s. Vig was also at the helm when Rhinelander's K-12 district was formally organized in 1968.
Though he had a long career as an education administrator, it was in his role as a nature appreciation teacher that Vig made an even longer lasting mark.
When he penned his first "Wisconsin Woodsmoke" column in the early 1960s it was the start of four decades worth of his writings, which also appeared in the Phillips Bee and the New Richmond News. Vig's nature appreciation outreach also extended to his involvement with Trees for Tomorrow, Treehaven, and Nicolet College, where for years he taught a class as part of the Learning in Retirement series. It all culminated with Vig's induction into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame in 2005. He died five years later at the age of 98, but his love of nature can still be felt today by simply returning to his old "Wisconsin Woodsmoke" columns or spending time at the outdoor classroom bearing his name.
The land first came under school district ownership in 1932 when it was acquired by a town of Pelican school district. It then came under the ownership of the current school district when consolidation occurred in 1968. More land was obtained through a trade with the Samoset Council and a site was selected for the outdoor classroom in 1976. Development of the site began in 1977, the year Vig retired from the school district. It was also at that time that it was officially named the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom (CAVOC) in his honor.
Over the next decade, many of the features of the outdoor classroom that still exist today were developed. Ground was broken on the Rominsky Lodge in 1981. Three years after that the caretaker's house was built. High and low ropes courses were constructed around this time, as well as nature trails. According to the school district, by 2000, more than 5,000 people were using the CAVOC site annually. Improvements continue today. In recent years an expansion of the Rominsky Lodge has been a focus.
But no matter the improvements made to the site's facilities now and into the future, the most important feature of CAVOC will always be the name on the wooden sign at the site's entrance: Cedric A. Vig. Be as observant of the natural world around you as he was, and you'll be experiencing nature in the right way.
Comments:
You must login to comment.