What is it about Celery Farm Marsh Warden Emeritus Stiles Thomas that inspires folks to poetry?

Teppy Sojander is an artist and naturalist who was one of the original Celery Farm crew and long-time Fyker. She did lots of drawings for the Fyke newsletter for years.

She created this back in 1980.

In case you can't read the words to this four-verse limerick, here they are:

1. There once was a man with a gun
who kept hawks and ducks on the run.
   In a strange about-face
   He gave up the chase.
His fowl shooting days are now done.

2. Stiles traded his gun for binocs
And enjoyed feathered friends in great flocks.
   He's now cheek by jowl
   With any old fowl
That lurks in the marshy boondocks.

3. A defender of wildlife is he --
An ardent and true devotee
  Of the owl and the hawk
   And the Razor-billed Auk
And the bluebird that nests in the tree.

4. In Allendale where he took root,
At present it seems absolute
   That the Celery Farm
   Will come to no harm.
This bird man deserves a salute!

(You don't see many poems where the rhymes include "binocs" and "auk." )

(Great job, Teppy!)