Dave G Kostka

Dave was my camp director at Nature Jaunt Daycamp in Page Park, the start of a long love affair with the outdoors. He was my teacher for 7-8th grade at RAMS, the Rockford Alternative Middle School, where he led us on canoe trips on Wisconsin rivers and backpack trips in Kettle Moraine and the Great Smoky Mts National Park. Imagine taking a bunch of crazy middle schoolers into the wilderness, especially one full of hungry bears - that was Dave, always patient, with grace and joy for sharing his love of nature with us. I will always be grateful for his leadership and example - my wife and I have explored the Tetons, Brooks Range, the North Cascades and the Alps - in large part Dave was my inspiration for adventure and stewardship of wild places.