On May 20, on behalf of the entire LREC community, fellow volunteer Marty Schmitt made the following remarks regarding Ray Potter on the occasion of the naming of Potter’s Cabin at Litzsinger Road Ecology Center.

From the time I first started volunteering at Litzsinger 10 years ago, I’ve been impressed by Ray’s wide knowledge of the land—the plants, the animals, the personal history of the place. I realized that Ray is what the naturalist Barry Lopez calls “a local genius of American landscape.” In an essay about American geography, Lopez describes such a person this way:

To really come to an understanding of a specific American geography requires not only time but a kind of local expertise, an intimacy with place few of us ever develop. A specific geographical understanding…resides with men and women more or less sworn to a place, who abide there, who have a feel for the soil and history…

I think of Ray as the local genius of the Litzsinger landscape. He is an integral part of this place. He has lived, played, explored, worked, and learned here his entire life, and he continually shares his understanding and love of this land with the rest of us—kids and adults—in his own unique way. Ray has never lost his sense of play and wonder. For thousands of kids and adults, he’s made exploring Litzsinger a fun and joyous adventure. To me, he’s the essence of what Litzsinger is all about.

I’m thrilled that we’re recognizing Ray’s unique relationship and contribution to this place and to us. The Potter name on the cabin will remind us of the value of knowing and loving a specific place and of sharing that understanding with others.