By Trish O’Kane
Wild Warner

Before Wild Warner was even an idea, 10 neighbors met Aug. 16, 2009, to discuss a city plan to develop Warner Park. Paul Rusk was one of those neighbors who came to Jim Carrier’s and my house that afternoon. Jim and I were new to Madison and lived next to Warner Park. I had begun studying the birds in the park as part of my Ph.D. and feared the city’s plan would destroy bird habitat. But neither Jim nor I had any clue about the political landscape. 

Enter Paul Rusk, lover of humans, social justice and all feathered, finned and furred creatures. Paul listened to our concerns in his deep, quiet way. Then he laid out a careful strategy to challenge the city’s plans. 

He counseled us to attend commission meetings at every level. He provided specific language: “Say ‘We’re concerned that if you did this, then such-and-such might happen.’” He advised us to prepare page-by-page and line-by-line changes: “Show that you’ve thought about it,” he said. 

He told us to find a copy of the park’s master plan, study it with a microscope, and quote it during our testimony. “Find allies to help protect the birds in the park,” he said. Then he listed potential allies. And he tempered our anger, pointing out in his judicious manner that there were some good proposals in the city’s plan that we should embrace. 

The next morning I began calling those allies and following Paul’s road map. A year later, we founded Wild Warner. Paul was one of our first members. He was a huge fan of the children’s birding education program in Warner Park, still run by Paul Noeldner. 

Paul Rusk loved all creatures, great and small. I will be forever grateful for his quiet, powerful counsel.