My first conversation I had with science teacher Donald Polkinghorne, I instantly realized his love and passion for ecology. It seemed like it’s what makes him himself. The passion he has for ecology shows, even when he’s away from it. He even has a large plot of land he selectively cuts trees and hunts on.  

“I grew up on the Canadian border and I’ve always been fascinated by animals. There wasn’t a lot to do there, so I was out in the woods all the time, hunting, fishing, trapping, and just always had that fascination with animals,” Polkinghorne said. 

My conversations with him have always circled around the outdoors, which has helped my own interest in the wilderness grow. Not only that, the support and tips he gives on fishing, hunting, tracking, and trapping gives many people inspiration. 

“He loves to share his passion for nature with others, getting people involved with activities they haven’t experienced before,” explained his wife Christine Polkinghorne. 

His hobbies are even passed onto his wife and kids,

“Many of our best times together have been camping or canoeing and we had a great time sharing that love of nature with our kids as they grew up. I’m definitely not as hard core as Polkinghorne is; sitting in a boat during a snowstorm or getting up before the crack of dawn to hunt deer. I also have a hard time appreciating the fish heads he keeps in buckets around the property to see what they look like after they decay,” his wife states. Even she can’t meet up to his passion for his hobbies, and the length he goes for them.

It’s incredible how he’ll push through to go out and hunt, fish, and study the things he wonders about. His determination is strong, and I look up to it and so do many others. His actions and words have also influenced people. It’s like he speaks for wildlife and tends to its unheard pleads.