By Kelly Sanderbeck, Donor Engagement Manager
“We’re wildlife junkies.” That’s quite an understatement from this couple, considering their electrifying nature photos, adventure tales, animal carvings and an insatiable ability to wait – and WAIT — for just the perfect photo. Their discovery of the Fund is familiar, as we hear it over and over again, taking on the resonant nature of mycelium webbing out to like-minded park lovers: They took a wildflower hike with Friends of Olympic, were invited to a Fireside Circle in Sequim where they met Bret Wirta (past Board President), then met Donovan Rafferty (past Board member) who told them of a marmot project at Olympic, and they soon joined Over the Top. And now, they’ll share some of their story! Kiosks all over Olympic feature their donated photos – at Sol Duc, Elwha, Hurricane Hill – and are regularly seen in The Bugler, the park’s newsletter.
Ken is originally from New Hampshire and Mary from Massachusetts. They met at the University of New Hampshire — Ken got a degree in Wildlife Biology and Mary in Business. He went on to work at the N.H. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife and the N.H. Dept. of Agriculture as an EPA inspector for pesticide control; she at Lockheed Corporation. His family farm moved from a dairy, on to fruits and vegetables, and then to a golf course. “In 1985 I went back to running our dairy farm in New Hampshire. When we transitioned it to a golf course in 1994 and we both ran it for 15 years. We still own it, but have others managing it.”
They visited Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier in 1990. With no children to consider after retirement, they moved to the Olympic peninsula in 2007 for the bears, wildflowers, marmots and Hurricane Ridge. “It had stuck with us. We were looking for a place to retire as second-career artists. Even though my family has been in New Hampshire since 1730,” says Ken, “Washington is coming home for me as I was born at Fort Lewis.”
They have traveled the world to all seven continents in search of extraordinary wildlife. Receiving numerous awards for their photography — and publishing in local and national magazines, brochures and calendars — Ken and Mary also provide presentations to many community groups with a focus on capturing wildlife in action and reflecting the natural beauty of the world around them. Ken has taught photography classes and was a judge for New England Camera Club competitions.
Mount Rainier holds some of their favorite memories because it has pikas and they get to see different marmots and birds. Ken’s photo of a pika was chosen for the 2021 Mount Rainier National Park Pass. “We haven’t been to North Cascades much because of having to lug all our camera gear. We hike to see wildlife, not necessarily to hike!” Olympic, though, is right in their backyard…always beckoning. “We can wake early and get up Hurricane Ridge before any people,” declares Ken. “Two years ago we headed to Sol Duc to watch the fish jumping and someone told us there was a bobcat around. He was laying on rocks on the beach and we sat and watched. He was across the river and we photographed the entire time. We came back two days later and the bobcat was sitting under a tree across the river. At one point he walked to the back of the falls, tried to catch a fish and missed it. He then crossed the river on some rocks. Mary, meantime, was coaching him! He pounced and got the fish in front of her, then turned directly to the camera to show off for a perfect picture.”
They have travelled the world in search of wildlife, with some of their favorite spots in East Africa, including Amboseli National Park in Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro. No one animal is their favorite, although mountain gorillas come close. Nowadays, they’re just as excited to come home to Port Angeles. “I’m in shock and awe of how beautiful it is here.”
They like how the Fund operates to get priority projects that need funding directly requested from the superintendents. Getting the park back to what it used to be – hopefully bringing back wolves, removing goats, increasing the number of fish in the Elwha – gets them excited and optimistic. “I say leave the Elwha alone and have no fishing,” says Ken. “Wildlife has value alive not dead. But the tribes have traditional fishing rights and recreational fishermen as well as wildlife watchers create a lot of income for the area. I understand there are political issues surrounding all the decisions…” Ken and Mary have plans to visit a Reserve in Africa, owned by the former Chairman of DeBeers diamond mining company, to support the work that is being done there. One of the goals at the Reserve is to get it back to its natural state by reintroducing various species.
Incredibly active in their community, the Campbells contribute, participate and present across the peninsula. Mary’s on the Board of the Feiro Marine Life Center, which was initially supported by the city and college and then became a nonprofit. They support the Field Arts & Events Center currently being built on the waterfront, the new Marine Discovery Center, the North Olympic Land Trust and Audubon Society. Time is rounded out by volunteering to participate in a monthly survey — COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team) – out of UW on Tsoo Yess Beach to track dead birds.
They do talks for Audubon on the nature of the Olympic peninsula, make photo presentations to nonprofit organizations and school groups that are interested in wildlife and conservation related issues, and have worked on the Olympic Discovery Trail, through the Peninsula Trails Coalition. It will eventually be over 130 miles of non-motorized trail from Port Townsend to La Push. And they continue to donate their photography and fish carvings to benefit charities.
“We’ve been here now for 13 years. It’s nice to feel that there are still really wild places where people can be in solitude and influenced by nature. Hopefully the parks still exist in 100 years. The people that want to see wildlife still exist! People still want to fund national parks and wildlife needs advocates. Our concern here is the number of people coming. Some days there is a 3 hour wait to get to Hurricane Ridge. We don’t want it to be Yosemite where you can only come in a bus. We promote getting to know your park, to support and appreciate it, but not have it be overrun. It’s a delicate balance. The Elwha closure forced more crowding at Hurricane Ridge.”
Is there something they’d like to share that people might not know about them? Ken is proud to have been inducted in the League of NH Craftsmen, as both a photographer and a carver. Mary was also inducted in the League as a photographer. “It’s all about the wildlife.” They are both twins — she identical, he not. And her twin married a Ken! They are also duck sitters for up to 70 days a year for their friends who raise endangered sea ducks at a private, invitation only, facility.
“We’re trying to see as much of the wildlife around the world before it’s gone. We go to specific places to see specific things, and spend time on the peninsula during the late spring and early summer so we can see animal babies.” Ken imagines being an artist in residence at some point. “I can see myself sitting on a rocker outside Lake Crescent Lodge for 6-8 weeks each summer, for the rest of my life, doing some carving and explaining about Beardslee Trout. I just want to teach people about wildlife.”