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picture from Lynn Cook
A Tribute to Rich Cook
The Washington Conservation Commission bids a tearful goodbye to our friend and long time commission member Rich Cook.
He passed away on July 16th following an accident and a valiant fight to recover from his injuries.
Rich was a true conservationist who loved farming, the natural world, and all things Washington.
He spent his working years as a Merchant Marine sailing the world's oceans, serving much of his career
as Captain. Though he visited ports all over the world he always delighted in returning to his farm
in East Washington. Bifrost Farm was his sanctuary and there he and Lynn and their children raised
and trained Morgan horses, grew organic Shiitaki mushrooms, kept chickens for eggs and meat and
cultivated bountiful vegetable gardens and berries. He had a deep interest in sustainable farming and locally raised food.
Rich took great interest in nature and spent a lot of time
in the great outdoors. He cut his own wood and enjoyed hiking
and riding horses. He also loved spending time on the water
sailing and kayaking. Rich had an innate sense of curiosity
about the natural world and the environment and read constantly
to enrich his knowledge.
He joined the Conservation Commission as a member right at the start and continued on as an ex-officio member after he was
elected to the town's Board of Selectmen. Through the years, he worked with us on land protection and preservation projects,
watershed restoration and was always willing to help do whatever needed to be done, including picking up trash along our
highway route and sloshing around in the vernal pool. He always made it fun and interesting no matter what we were doing.
He loved the land and his community and gave huge amounts of his time to both. He had a wonderful and wry sense
of humor and always had great observations and stories to tell. Rich lived his life doing what he loved and felt
passionately about. His legacy will live on through his children and Lynn and we will carry on, in his absence,
to do the important conservation work in Washington that we all shared.
We will all miss him terribly but we are all a great deal richer for having known him. He was truly
a "force of nature" and now, he is a "force in nature". Look for him in the mountains, in your garden,
the beaver bog, or the local pond. He's still here with us.
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