John Paige grew up on a farm near Kawkawlin, Michigan, and wasn’t introduced to ruffed grouse, woodcock or setters until later in life. Regardless, it’s now best described as a full fledge addiction and lifestyle. Which, oddly enough, is a story that very closely resembles my own introduction to the Uplands. It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it?
Not soon after John and his wife, Sue, moved to Lapeer in 1974, one of Sue’s colleagues, Ken Crenkel, needed a trailer and help moving wood at his camp in northern Michigan. John volunteered to help Ken and, in the process, was advised to add a shotgun to his packing list for the weekend. It wasn’t obvious at the time, but the simple gesture to help move some firewood would soon change the outcome of his life. Today, John considers Ken his best friend and the two share contiguous member numbers: Ken’s is 803 and John’s, 804. After joining RGS & AWS and being exposed to more grouse hunters, John realized that he was missing possibly the most crucial piece of the puzzle: a dog. The following summer, in 1982, his birthday present from Sue was the green light to get a birddog. As fate has it, John caught wind of a litter of setter pups back in his hometown and soon had a setter pup of his own, Speckles; an orange and white female. John knows a good thing when he sees it, which is why he’s been a devoted setter man ever since.
Life went on and, somewhere along the trail, John was laid off; however, the optimist in him recognized that as the perfect opportunity to add another setter to the pack named Patches. Soon after, with a bit of free time on his hands, John spotted an ad in the local newspaper about a meet and greet event for the Robert J. Lytle Chapter of RGS & AWS. He began regularly attending chapter meetings. Before he knew it, he was nominated for habitat chair. A few years after that, he became the treasurer. Later, in 2014, John became the banquet chair; all positions he still holds today.
Anyone who knows John will tell you he has an eye for recognizing opportunities. In 2009, John volunteered to lead the Habitat Machinery Program in Michigan, boosted a significant amount of chapter interest and desire to do habitat work across the state. It also greatly increased the visibility of the organization and that type of habitat work. John’s very proud of the machinery program, but, at the same time, isn’t sad that it’s gone. The program acted as a catalyst that’s allowed us to grow exponentially and to leverage more work on a larger scale. John’s conservation legacy will continue when he takes on the newly created volunteer state habitat coordinator role this summer.
I asked John what advice he had for folks just getting involved. He said, “Number one, if you have a desire to make our world a better place, there’s nothing I can think of that’s more important than healthy forests. Healthy forests benefit so much more than just wildlife; they’re crucial for our watersheds, air quality and soil health. The reward for being able to see the results of your work is exceedingly fulfilling. The first step is to decide that you want to make a difference. The second step is figuring out a way to make it fun because if you enjoy it, you’ll keep doing it. Third, is simple. Just don’t give up. We live in a rapidly changing world where we need to embrace progress, which means to embrace change.”
When RGS & AWS made the change from biologists to forest conservation directors, John was uncertain of the model and how it would play out. However, he embraced the change head on and, today, is one of the model’s strongest supporters.
Personally, I felt writing this article about John’s contribution to RGS & AWS was a huge responsibility and decided to enlist the perspective of others. Jay Dowd, Rodger Moore Chapter committee member and upland artist, said, “John is a passionate conservationist who’s always eager to put in work for the birds and lend a hand to a friend.”
Curt Rodgers, Robert J. Lytle committee member and owner of Rogers Natural Resource Servies, said, “John gets stuff done, period. When challenges come up, he always finds a way and has been extremely effective putting habitat on the ground.”
When asked what RGS & AWS means to him, John paused for a moment, and said “Looking back over the last 40 plus years, I’ve realized that the deeper I’ve become involved, the more I’ve seen the opportunity to leave things better than I’ve found them. As a member, I’m very proud that we have made a difference – a big one. Being involved and helping grow the organization into what we are today is one of the great achievements of my life.”
Throughout our conversation, it was very apparent that John doesn’t volunteer for recognition or praise. Instead, he has a personal mission of conservation that’s much larger than just him. While John didn’t come out and say it, I’m as certain as a brush worn setter that he hopes this article inspires someone out there to get involved. So, the next time someone needs help moving firewood, lend them a hand and, who knows, it might just change your life. As John likes to say, “See you along the trail.”
