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As a memorial, this collection of Todd Fink's observations would not be complete without a biography portraying his lust for life. Todd Eric Fink was passionate about life, especially the study of wildlife and birds. With a photographic memory and boundless energy, he became a respected resource for birders and naturalists. He could identify a bird by its one note alarm call and casually produce its Latin name. He was a gracious expert who never lost his sense of wonder. He "beamed" with health and exuberance. He had thick, dark hair, cheeks usually flushed from the outdoors, and a quick smile. His sense of humor bordered on impish. His hug was like a vise. Todd was a natural heritage biologist, an ardent birder, a conservationist, perfectionist, vegetarian. He was inventive, daring, enthusiastic, meticulous, patient, tender, generous. His unexpected death July 11, 1995, was a profound loss. Todd was born April 25, 1959 after only two hours of labor. He was the second child in a family of four boys--the third generation in a row with four sons on his father's side. His curiosity and keen eye were apparent early on. As a young child, he inspected bugs and plants. In kindergarten he amazed his teachers by drawing a profile of a person complete with details like fingers and a collar. When about 10 years old, Todd raised and befriended a ground hog whom he named "Snickelfritz." After releasing him in an abandoned strip mine, Todd returned every Sunday for 15 weeks to call Snickelfritz out of his hole and feed him french fries and chips. Raccoons, snakes and a fox Todd named "Flash" were also part of the Fink family in Chenoa and then Belleville, Illinois. Todd often brought animals and birds home to raise and study--even a King Rail, a bird still eagerly sought by Illinois birders. He lured many common town birds into a specially rigged bird cage. He captured a kestrel (a sparrow hawk) and fed it house sparrows until it became his pet. These experiences prepared Todd for his later work as a bird bander. As a student, Todd rarely scored less than A. He could ace a spelling test by looking over the list moments before. Playing the dictionary game with him as an adult was a challenge--it was difficult to find a word he didn't know. He graduated from Belleville East High School in 1977 and received a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology and then a Master of Science in Zoology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1983. He was a competitive birder, with more than 60 records to his credit published in David Bohlen's Birds of Illinois. He holds a First State Record for seeing a Curve-billed Thrasher in 1992. His Illinois Life List included more than 340 species and in 1994 he joined the very few who have seen more than 300 species in a single year. On May 12, 1995, he set a new state warbler record: 33 species seen in a day. He had an uncanny instinct for recognizing minute indicators of a bird's habitat. He could predict what species were present without seeing or hearing the birds. New sightings often provoked him to cry "Oh my GOD! Oh my GOD!" and he wasn't above jumping up and down in excitement. He took binoculars on his morning jog. He kept all kinds of lists; he had a diary of every reptile he saw including road kills. He was interested in salamanders and would carry them home to photograph in a plastic McDonald's cup. Todd was a talented field trip leader who could transform a slow birding day into a natural history expedition. He could identify wildflowers, butterflies and frogs as well as feathers, seeds and sounds. An outstanding nature photographer, he had photo credits in scientific and nature journals. An SIU Press book published in 1996, Southern Illinois Birds by W. Douglas Robinson, features photos by Todd and was dedicated to him. Todd wrote articles for Meadowlark, Illinois Highlights, Illinois Audubon and Bird Watcher's Digest. He was a district heritage biologist and made major research contributions to the study of migrant songbird populations and their habitat during his 11 years with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. His knowledge contributed to the revision of the 1988 Forest Service Plan and he assisted with the 1993 Illinois Natural History Survey report on forest fragmentation in the Shawnee National Forest. His transfer from Mt. Vernon to Dixon Springs enabled him to move to Ozark, Illinois, and live with his best friend and life companion, Larry. They revered the area and felt honored to live in their pocket of the Shawnee. Larry called Todd a natural--things came easily to him. He was a dynamic person who was open to new ideas and could absorb and adapt quickly. As a friend, Todd was extremely caring and honest. He had a stunning Green-winged Macaw named Mac, who, with a jaw strong enough to crack a Brazil nut, would gently preen Todd's eyebrows. After getting a call about a lost bird, Todd staked him out for weeks and caught him as he drank from a creek. They became great friends, often screeching in ear piercing laughter together, or exchanging loudly: "How--are--youuuuuu?" Todd bought an antique metal corn crib which made a palatial summer cage. The illness that was to kill Todd hit him while vacationing in Atlanta. Terrible headaches, muscle soreness and a fever of 104° sent him to the emergency room. He died in a hospital in Springfield, Illinois, 17 days later. The rapidity and unexpected nature of his death suggested an autopsy which revealed the disease to be Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis--a new tick-borne disease treatable with tetracycline. His death became the first in Illinois attributed to HGE. His immune system also was compromised by Human Immunodeficiency Virus. He was 36 years old. Todd was buried--just 20 feet from Mac's cage--on his property in Ozark in a manner he had specified. The path to the Heron Pond Nature Preserve south of Vienna was renamed in Todd's honor, as was a natural area adjoining his land--a beautiful bluffed area thought sacred by his friends.
In addition, the Todd Fink Memorial was established to aid graduate students at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, whose studies meet certain criteria pertaining to the population of endangered plants or animals of Illinois. Anyone interested in contributing to the fund may call 217-785-2003 (TDD 217-782-9175) or contact: TODD FINK MEMORIAL 524 South Second, Room 400 Springfield, Illinois 62701-1787
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