The Mid-west Sled Dog Symposium and Iditarod Educator’s Conference offered information and topics of interest for one and all. Some of the presenters focused on the basics and other presenters offered information on advanced topics. It can’t get much more basic than Kennel Organization and Management and it might not get any more technical than the Canine Estrus Cycle, Breeding and Whelping. Both were sessions at the one-day gathering.

While well-known mushers from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were sharing stories of the heroics of their favorite lead dogs, a hands on beginner workshop provided information on making necklines, tug lines and fitting harnesses.

When it comes to basics, can it get anymore fundamental than kennel management? It’s about safety, efficiency and cleanliness. Tim VenderMeulen conducted a session to provide information on managing an “urban Kennel”, establishing good neighbor relations, constructing bomb proof dog houses and building the ever useful and indispensible pooper scooper. Using a Tidy Cat container for the scooper, Tim assured the audience there was no slight intended to man’s other best friend, the feline.

The theme of Iditarod is a dynamic tool for the classroom. Teachers at the conference had the opportunity to fill their sleds with ideas and activities for 21st century learning. Sid Lucas, a Wisconsin high school science teacher, presented a lesson in which his students prepared a nutrition plan for Trent Herbst’s Iditarod dog-team. The teachers in the session were asked to create a list of “need to know” information and his lesson unfolded from there. This lesson and approach to learning, using the theme of Iditarod, allows students to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Shannon Wyckoff and Linda Fenton, Iditarod’s current Teacher on the Trail, also inspired educators with their best practices. Wyckoff, an Ohio teacher, creates Iditarod based lessons for her special needs students. She shared activities and how she’s been successful in getting the whole school involved with the blessing and support of the administration. Fenton, an elementary teacher from Wisconsin, teaches science to her third graders through the physical principles of flight using the famed Iditarod Air Force for real life application. Both teachers shared stories of students commenting that when class activities involved the Iditarod theme, they learned so much yet it never felt like schoolwork.

Lance Mackey was scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the symposium but he didn’t make his flight out of Anchorage. At the very last minute, Minnesota based explorer, adventurer and business man, Paul Shurke agreed to fill in. During his 30-year career in outdoor leadership, Paul has led over 50 group adventurers and expeditions throughout the Arctic including 6 dogsled & ski treks to the North Pole and ski mountaineering treks in Siberia and Canada. Shurke is the founder of Wilderness Inquiry, a non-profit canoe and dog-sled adventure program for disabled persons. A history buff and great storyteller, Shurke captured the hearts and minds of his audience for nearly 90 minutes. When introducing Paul, Ed Stielstra said that in Iditarod, mushers occasionally face minus fifty degree lows at night but in his treks to the pole, Shurke has faced minus fifty as the high for the day!

Mackey did a phone presentation over the lunch break. Lance is excited about his team for the upcoming race season. Lance himself feels good and is focused 100% on his dogs and racing. Through the question and answer session, it sounds like the guy from Comeback Kennel is ready to do exactly that. Anyone with a superstitious bone in their body might agree that this could be Mackey’s year to earn his fifth Iditarod crown. As a person from the audience pointed out, he won his first Iditarod wearing bib #13, this is his thirteenth Iditarod and the year is 2013.

Thanks and congratulations to Ed and Tasha Stielstra for organizing the symposium and educator’s conference to promote sled dogs and the sport of mushing. For those of you who live in the mid-west, Mackey is pre-booked as the speaker for 2013!

Born to Run,

Sanka