University Daily Kansan / Friday, September 19, 1986
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KU zoologist wins honor
Collins named 'Conservationist of the Year'
By TONY BALANDRAN Staff writer
When Joseph Collins returned home Monday from a "working vacation" at Reefloot Lake in northwest Tennessee, he found a letter he wasn't expecting on his office desk.
The letter informed Collins, a zoologist for KU's Museum of Natural History, that the Kansas Wildlife Federation had named him the 1986 recipient of the Conservationist of the Year award.
"I got calls congratulating me before I found out that I won," said Collins. "I was surprised to learn the news when I got back from vacation."
Collins, 47. said his interest in resource and wildlife conservation, which existed "since day one", had led him to spend one and a half years co-writing and editing his latest book, "Natural Kansas." He credits the book with getting him the award.
The highest honor bestowed annually by the KWF, Conservationist of the Year recognizes the achievements of the individual considered to have made the most significant contribution to the cause of conservation of natural resources of Kansas.
Collins, along with seven other recipients of different awards from the KWF, will be honored at an annual awards banquet at 7 p.m. Oct. 11 in Topeka.
Collins, who earned a two-year
degree in zoology from the University of Cincinnati, is also editor for all the publications written by the KU museum. He is originally from Cincinnati.
Collins' book and his past endeavors qualified him for the award, said George Pisani, director of undergraduate biology laboratories.
Collins wrote three of the 11 chapters in "Natural Kansas" and said he informed other authors as to what needed to be included in the text, he said.
Part of the research required for the book called for Collins to explore Kansas in detail.
And that is exactly what he did when he visited each of the 105 counties in the state.
"I've photographed in them. I've chased wildlife in them and I've camped out in them." Collins said.
"Natural Kansas' is the culmination of his conservation efforts." said Pisani, one of several people who nominated Collins for the award. "Its aim is not directed to the technical world because the biologist is not in need of having his awareness raised."
Collins also said he was grateful that the KWF recognized his interest in conservation.
"This is probably the only conservationist award you can get in the state," he said.
His interest in conservation began at age 19, when he and three other teenagers began the Ohio
Herpetological Society, with a membership of 25, said Collins. They also produced a journal under the same name.
By 1976, most of their members lived outside of Ohio, so they changed the name to the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. By 1978, it was the largest international society in that profession with 2,600 members representing 20 countries.
Pisani joined the society in 1962, but did not meet Collins until 1970.
"I saw him do many things in a low-key fashion to foster conservation awareness," Pisani said.
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Collins was president of the Kansas Association of Biology Teachers in 1980 and has been chairman of the State Fish and Game Department's Herpetology Committee since 1975.
In 1979, he was named KU's Classified Employee of the Year and in 1984 received the University's Certificate of Appreciation from Chancellor Gene A. Budig
Collins has written six other books, including four field guides to Kansas animals. He also is a wildlife photographer, whose photographs have appeared in Audubon Society field guides and other books worldwide.
He has written more than 100 articles for publications ranging from technical journals to popular magazines.
Entertainment arts
By NANCY BARRE
Stan Warner
The Kansas City Renaissance Festival, Saturdays and Sundays from 6 p.m. on new until Oct. 19. The festival is located in Bonner Springs right off the 170 exit. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, and cost $7.95 for adults, $6.75 for students with ID and senior citizens over age 62, and $3.25 for children under 18. Children under five get in free.
Michael Yates jumped into the circle, sword in hand yelling "Die ye varmint," in an unconvinced old English accent. His opponent was decked out in rusty armor from the waist up, but his bottom half gave him away — he wore Levi's jeans with a faded label and a pair of vinyl snow boots.
A few feet away, people dressed in medieval garb formed a circle around the staged fight, but their words gave them away.
"Please stand three feet back," one woman told the crowd. "I'm sorry, but it's a safety regulation."
The crowd didn't seem to mind though, because just like everything else at the Kansas City Art Institute's 10th annual Renaissance Festival, the fight scene was a study in anachronisms.
The festival is located on a wooded lot in Bonner Springs. About 3,000 people, including about 300 volunteers, work at the festival at any one time, and up to 10,000 people visit the festival each day of its year.
Visitors can eat anything from roasted turkey drumsticks to pizza sticks and gyro sandwiches and drink anything from homemade apple cider to Diet Coke. They can also buy handmade textiles and jewelry or indulgenes for forgiveness of sins, watch a jousting match or magic tricks, listen to the trill of flutes or the strumming of harps, and play anything from archery to human chess.
One of the most popular events is the daily appearance of the festival's king and queen in their court. They march down to the Royal Pavilion for respect expect respect — even from visitors to their kindness.
"I command that you should stand, until it's the king's pleasure that you should sit," beloowed Michael Marcela, a professional actor and opera singer who had been an inobedient audience that had seated itself too quickly.
The annual event is supposed to resemble a medieval harvest festival. Everyone who works at the festival, including food vendors, shopkeepers and litter collectors, must provide their own version of a Renaissance era costume. Employees and volunteers are also encouraged to learn about medieval accents, customs and mannerisms at a workshop sponsored by the institute.
Bonnie Bigham, Independence, Mo., alias Lady Niva of Dragonwood, has been a volunteer at the festival for four years. She said she had done historical research to perfect her accent and costumes, but had dreamed her medieval name up when she was a little girl.
Copeland explained that in order to offer visitors the appropriate Renaissance atmosphere, the workers were reminded never to break character. Visitors are required to not gate by people with costumes and English accents.
"My favorite part about the festival is making people smile. A lot of times, they come up to say thank you before they leave."
"Everbody here performs," said Gigi Copeland, a former KU student who has worked as a volunteer at the festival for the past four years.
"I used to read books about olden times, and Lady Niva was the heroine in several of the books," she said.
Bigham spends a lot of time at the festival — she comes out every weekday day for the duration of the festival. But Sandy Gayton spends even more time at the festival, spending her time with her husband to festivals all over the country.
"We've been in the Renn Fair business full time now for six years," said Sandy Gayton. "We're both
Gayton and her husband have a stall at the festival where they sell toy wooden crossbows and folding wooden rocking chairs. During the week, when there aren't any visitors, they camp out in a tent and work on their crafts. During winter, they live near the Lake of the Ozarks and build toys for the following summer
HUZZAH! Festival harkens ye back to yesteryear
All proceeds from the festival go to the institute
Photos by Mike Horton
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