Northern Michigan University celebrated Anderton’s Earth Week Monday through Friday, though snow days early in the week called for the rescheduling of some events. The week of environmentally conscious presentations is held annually in honor of the late NMU professor John Anderton, above, who shared his passion for the environment and the U.P. with all who knew him. (Courtesy photo) At right, NMU student Liam Deephouse examines plants being given out by students of Intro to Sustainability as part of their “Let’s Talk Plants” display. (Journal photo by Rachel Oakley)

MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University celebrated Anderton’s Earth Week April Monday through Friday. The event was created by NMU’s Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences Department to honor the well-loved late professor John Anderton.

“This is the fourth year. They started this the April after he died,” said Judy DeFant, Anderton’s mother. Anderton died in 2014 at the age of 49 while skiing in the woods.

“He died doing what he loved,” said Anderton’s father, Keith DeFant.

“We were devastated with the loss,” said Judy DeFant, “but honored to think that they were going to remember him. Each year it’s grown a little bit.”

The first two years were Anderton’s Earth Days, which expanded to Earth Week last year.

Wednesday an interactive presentation was held called “This Earth Day — What’s Your Story?” by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Christie Deloria.

Deloria said the goal of her talk was “to inspire youth to tell their story, and inspire others to action around the environment. Part of that, I think, is to be able to tell a compelling story that not only speaks from the head — the biology, the science that we all learn — but also from the heart and the passion that brings us to environmental sustainability.”

It’s an apt presentation to honor a man known for inspiring others through his stories.

“(Anderton) was a master of storytelling,” said Susy Ziegler, associate dean of Arts and Sciences and department head for Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences at NMU. “He had a way of teaching through telling stories that were captivating. Whether it was a ghost story around a campfire when his soils class and my biogeography class went to Pictured Rocks … or whether it was just telling stories in class or when taking people around Presque Isle. He had a way of capturing people’s attention and imagination by the way he could tell stories.

“Students loved him, I think, because of how relevant he made the lessons he was teaching … He also made those lessons memorable … Students who’ve graduated still remember what an influential professor he was for them,” Ziegler said.

Anderton’s contributions to the Marquette area are hard to summarize. Along with his involved teaching at NMU, Anderton was also affiliated with the Register of Professional Archaeologists, Association of American Geographers, Society for American Archaeology, Conference on Michigan Archaeology and Friends of the Pleistocene. He served on the board at the Marquette Regional History Center, and the city of Marquette’s Presque Isle Park Advisory Committee. Among many works, he most notably authored “The Jewel in the Crown: An Environmental History of Presque Isle Park, Marquette, MI.”

“When he served on the Presque Isle commission, his book became mandatory reading for anybody that came onto the commission so that they would understand and know about the history of the island,” said Keith DeFant.

In fall of 2017, the trails of Presque Isle were named in his honor, the John B. Anderton Trail System, and a plaque was set up describing his passion for the park.

“We still can’t believe he did so much in 49 years,” said Judy DeFant. “He was so humble, he wouldn’t tell us, and then we found out from past students.”

Judy DeFant shared an excerpt from a letter given to her by one of Anderton’s students after his passing, which concluded by saying “He was always there for you when you needed him and would do anything in his power to help. He was truly an amazing man who touched the lives of all those around him. He will be missed for the years to come.”

“And that is a fact,” said Judy DeFant.

Other events held during Anderton’s Earth Week included a series of presentations called “Let’s Talk,” comprised of Deloria’s talk, as well as presentations by NMU Intro to Sustainability students: Let’s Talk Sustainability; Let’s Talk Plants; and Let’s Talk Biophilic (Green) Design. Film screenings of “The Water Front,” “Disruption” and “Disobedience” were shown, and a career panel discussion with environmental employees was held.

Rachel Oakley can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is roakley@miningjournal.net.