Over a decade ago, I had a decidedly different job. As a naturalist and educator for a local park district, I had the opportunity to work, and often to play, at the intersection of nature and history. I loved bringing history to life both at fixed park sites and all along the trails that wove throughout the county. Telling a good story with the beauty of nature as a backdrop was one of my favorite ways to interact with guests.
Perhaps no other time with the park district was as rewarding or as relevant to stormwater. At the time, I was blessed with the opportunity to share the history of the Flood of 1913 through a yearlong collaborative event hosted by the park district. The program began on March 23, 2013, a hundred years to the day of the great flood. Thousands visited the exhibit and participated in related programs throughout the year.
Now, a dozen years later, I want to share some of the text from the exhibit. While my job may be different, a stormwater inspector instead of a park naturalist, the knowledge of extreme weather and its potential impacts is just as important today as it was when I wore a different job hat…