By Sharon Clemins
I first met Evelyn Boyd Joas in May 1995 when
I moved into the neighborhood where she lived. Her warm, witty,
welcoming demeanor was endearing from the start. We found we shared
a few similarities, including a love of flowers and nature. I soon
learned that the wooded “loop,” as the neighbors called it, belonged to her and that she hoped to always keep it the way it was – wooded
and natural.
 The first time I hiked the loop was that winter with my parents. We were intrigued by the deer trails and decided one mild winter day to see where the trails would lead us. It was a great adventure as we crept along, noting the interesting changes in terrain and spotting places in the snow where the deer had bedded down. Having grown up in southern Wisconsin, I had never been so close to deer and their chosen habitat. Now I have that in my own backyard!
The loop is located on a peninsula that extends into Lake Wissota in Chippewa County. Donald Boyd purchased the property from the power company in 1917, and years later it was passed down to Robert Boyd, Evelyn’s first husband. As Evelyn’s son Bill said, “We all shared the vision of preserving the property. It was something we had discussed for a number of years.” In 2003, Evelyn worked with the Chippewa County Land Conservancy, who in turn worked with the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the Chippewa County Land Conservation Fund to fulfill the family’s vision, creating the Boyd Park Nature Preserve.
Over the years I’ve given thanks for my good fortune to live in such a beautiful neighborhood, and I’ve always felt it important to honor this lovely wooded area by treading on it lightly. I treasure the abundant birds and wildlife: barred owls, fox, deer and wild turkeys make the loop their home, along with Pileated woodpeckers, wood ducks and a myriad of songbirds.
Watching Ev tend her yard well into her 80s has been an inspiration to me. One could tell she loved the outdoors and took life and nature as they presented themselves. I was deeply saddened when I learned she passed away in December of 2003 at the age of 88. I wanted to give something back to her and her family for preserving so much natural beauty around us, so I planted a lovely red maple tree in the loop in her honor. It is my hope that she is remembered each fall in her beautiful splendor, and then blends in with the rest of nature to become one more piece in the lovely tapestry of the woods.
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