Richard Havenga seeks to make the ordinary extraordinary through close, personal observations of nature. Weaving words of grace and gratitude through the tapestry of his exquisite photographs, Richard shares everyday miracles with the rigorous curiosity of a naturalist, and the immeasurable perceptions of an artist. Richard writes with a supple blend of awareness, curiosity, spirituality, and discovery. Always attentive outdoors, always searching for new epiphanies of beauty, always grateful for the extravagant gifts of creation, he leads the reader-viewer along an inviting trail of words and images; gifts thoughtfully selected, and graciously given.
Richard Havenga is a writer, nature photographer, poet, teacher, naturalist, speaker/presenter, and author of the blog: Walk With Father Nature.
He's been married to his loving wife, Mary, for 51 years. They have two children: Sarah and Aaron. Rich and Mary live on ten wooded acres, on a designated "Natural Beauty" road near Cannonsburg, Michigan.
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| Brighton Ski Area - Wasatch Mountains - Utah |
Dear Mr. Havenga,
ReplyDeleteToday in our back to school faculty meeting, we were asked to reflect on our own memories of junior high. My colleague made a comment about having some really engaging teachers. I immediately thought of you. You were my reading/writing teacher at Crestwood Middle School in...have to think about this...91-92 and 92-93. I want you to know how inspiring and engaging you were as my teacher. When I pursued a Special Education degree in college, whenever we were asked to reflect on some of our favorite teachers, I always thought of you. You treated us with respect, had a great sense of humor and allowed us to truly experience literature and writing. I hope you are living your best life. I wanted to make you aware of the impact you had on mine. Thank you for being an educator.
Lisa Novak (Ballash) formerly of "section 7-6" at Crestwood
Lisa: Your heart-warming message today made my day (my month!). I certainly DO recall you, because you were a dynamic, dedicated student of our Reading/Writing Workshops. As I recall, you were blonde, petite, and sincere in your work. Were you also a cheerleader at CMS? I did a bit of research, and I think you now live in Sandy, Utah; which is where our daughter, Sarah (46) lived for the time she worked at Brighton Ski Resort, and did some work with At-Risk kids in the wilderness areas near Loa and Bicknel, UT. She now lives in Longmont, Colorado.
Deletedid you happen to know Megan Connors, or was she older than you? How about Kristen Azkoul (VerBeek)? I still keep in touch with Megan, who lives in Portland, Oregon. Kristen visited us this past winter when we were renting a home in SaddleBrooke; a retirement community north of Tucson, AZ. We go there to play tennis for four months. I am happy to hear you are also in Education, and hope you find it very rewarding. In your work may you be infused with passion and creativity. May you experience fulfillment and satisfaction. May you be grateful for your God-given gifts and talents.
I would like to know more about you and your family, if you feel okay with sharing. I am now 72, but still very fit: running, biking, tennis, working out, etc. Mary and I have been married 49 years!
Are you on Facebook? LinkedIn? My email is: richmaryh@gmail.com
Gratefully,
Richard (Mr.) Havenga
P.S. My daily Journal is now 45 years old.
Dear Mr. Havenga,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Quynh Nguyen. I’m not sure if you remembered me but I used to be in your biology class at Crestwood Middle School. I’m now 31 years old and was walking on a trail today with my daughter while listening to the sounds of birds chirping and it suddenly took me back to many memories of being in your class learning about nature, specifically about different birds and all their unique characteristics. My favorite is the red cardinal and every time I spot one in the back yard, I would think of when I got scolded for talking during your lecture about the bird. I truly cherish those memories, even the most horrifying one when I watched a baby mouse being eaten by a snake. I just wanted to let you know how much I value everything that I have learned from you, I remembered looking forward to your class everyday. I’m so happy to have found your blog and see that your passion for nature still continues to flourish. I hope you’re happy and healthy.
Best,
Quynh
Ps: I hope you’re Havenga a nice day!
DeleteThanks for Fabulous
ReplyDelete