RRWC, Michigan

Kara Suzanne Tecco, our friend and colleague, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 25 on Sunday, November 18, 2007. Kara was employed as the Adopt-A-Stream Coordinator for the River Raisin Watershed Council. Kara graduated with honors from Adrian College in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and Environmental Science. She was a member of Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, and Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society. At the time of her death she was pursuing a Master's degree in Aquatic Ecology at Grand Valley State University.

It is difficult to know where to begin, to honor Kara’s memory in a way that conveys a bit of her essence and captures her spirit and zest for life. Kara was a kind, gentle, genuine, heartfelt, quietly powerful, and passionate individual. So many times over the past year, I told our committee what a thrill it was to watch and be a part of Kara’s development and growth. With each passing week, Kara grew more confident in her work and abilities. She truly blossomed and glowed from within. The more responsibility she was given, the higher she flew. That was never more evident than when the Adopt-A-Stream program was dropped in her lap at the beginning of 2007. Kara worked tirelessly as the program was reshaped and a framework developed. With her passion fully ignited, she toiled long hours over the summer in Dr. Jim Martin’s lab at Adrian College creating a voucher collection of macroinvertebrates for the council. She created a voluminous coordinators’ manual and assisted in producing binders for each and every Adopt-A-Stream site. She surveyed sites, inventoried and reworked data, and was the catalyst for many new people to volunteer for the program. She wrote sections of the River Raisin Watershed Management Plan, she conceived, sketched, and wrote several pages for our new educational activity book, and helped develop a new database among many other tasks. She was a dedicated and hard worker. She made a difference.

Kara was a delight to work with. She was always positive and proactive. The RRWC is a small non-profit with limited resources and as such, we have to “make do” a lot. Kara never complained. She utilized the resources available to her and made the most of what we have. She worked around obstacles and figured out solutions. She didn’t put limitations on her efforts. She worked until the job was done, period. She was always looking for ways to improve things and kept a list handy of things she felt needed further refinement. The Adopt-A-Stream program benefited greatly from her efforts. It is vastly improved as a result of her contributions. She made a difference.

Kara loved the outdoors and enjoyed hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. She loved reading scientific books and articles. And, she loved her Cabela’s waders! Kara and her boyfriend, Graham Lewis, enjoyed many outdoor excursions in their life together. Kara just radiated joy recounting the fun they had. Graham said that “whenever anything involved nature and the outdoors, she always approached it with a passion. I was always impressed that she was perfectly content to sit in a canoe for six to eight hours, whether or not we were catching many fish!” Kara loved being outdoors. She was in her element. She influenced so many by just being herself. It is impossible to know how many lives she touched but I am sure that her love of nature will be carried on by all who knew her. She made a difference.

I loved Kara’s smile and laugh. She was so childlike and pure in her happiness. Small things made her happy- her flash drive for one! That was one of the reasons she was so ideally suited to her chosen profession. Many believe that in order to make a difference in the environment, they need to make huge changes in their lives. On the contrary, it is the small things that each and every one of us can do to collectively make a huge difference. Recycle, turn down the thermostat a few degrees, use less lawn fertilizer, turn off the water while brushing your teeth, use a rain barrel, compost, buy energy efficient light bulbs, only run the dishwasher when full, buy environmentally friendly products, dispose of household hazardous wastes properly, properly maintain your septic tank, or plant a few trees. I challenge each and every one of you reading this to honor Kara’s memory by incorporating a small environmental change into your life. I believe this is something that Kara would appreciate. You can make a difference. Kara made a difference.

Kara is survived by her parents, Thomas and Betty (Gleason) Tecco. In addition, she is survived by her brother, Ryan Tecco, of San Francisco, California; grandmothers Elizabeth Gleason and Betty Jane Tecco, both of Grafton, Ohio; uncles and aunts, Robert and Bonnie Smigelski of Waterville, Ohio; Ken and Brenda Yuronich of Grafton, Ohio, and Richard and Joanne Merker of Clifton, Virginia and by cousins, Steve and David Smigelski; Greg and Brad Yuronich, and Brett Merker. She is also survived by her boyfriend, Graham Lewis of Saline. Kara will continue on through her organ donation to Gift of Life. A memorial service will be held next year in the spring or summer. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in her name be made to the River Raisin Watershed Council.

It is difficult to fathom why someone so young and in her prime departs so suddenly from this life. Words seem so inadequate. Kara was more about action; working in the field, experiencing the joys of the great outdoors, and dedicating her life to environmental study and improvement. There are many things Kara stood for in her life. Each person she touched will have their own special memories of her to cherish and hold dear. Each person will honor her memory in a way they feel comfortable and appropriate. She was a special, talented, and warm human being, one that I feel particularly privileged to have known. I will never forget Kara. She made a difference.