Today, Pacific Union College’s biological field station at Albion on the Mendocino Coast has quite a different appearance than it did 60 years ago. It has neither the deafening ambiance of the original lumber mill nor the overwhelming fragrance of the subsequent sheep pasture.
The field station provides its guests opportunities for canoe trips on the Albion River, bird and whale watching with camp directors David and Ruth Wiebe, and cabin lodgings. While a post-sundown journey to the community restrooms has certainly been an inconvenience, the allure of Albion far outweighs any shortcomings.
Most visitors realized that Albion would never be a Four Seasons or a Ritz, but some desired conveniences similar to their homes. So, Friends of Albion, a group concerned with the preservation and sustenance of the field station, met one weekend nearly five years ago to discuss the possibility of adding bathrooms to each of the cabins.
By the end of that weekend, the Friends of Albion had raised over $100,000. This past spring, after much waiting and jumping through regulatory hoops, plans were approved and work commenced on the bathrooms and other improvements.
A total of 24 bathrooms were added to the camp. David Wiebe, who along with his wife, Ruth, has managed the camp for 14 years, sees the new bathrooms as improving the experience for younger and older visitors. “For families visiting with children, parents don’t have to worry about accompanying those children to the bathroom at all hours of the night. And our older guests can enjoy the beauty Albion has to offer without feeling like they left all conveniences at home,” says Wiebe.
Other work on the camp includes a newly-paved camp roadway, wiring to the cabins for telephone and wireless Internet, and upgrades to Lonicera, a larger family cabin.
Gilbert “Gibby” Muth, a former professor in PUC’s biology department and editor of the Friends of Albion e-newsletter, has been a driving force behind the improvements to the field station. After making his first visit to Albion as a student in 1958, Muth developed a special connection with the biological station. Whether it’s meeting with county inspectors to obtain building permits or jumping into the trenches to expedite the digging process, Muth is no stranger to the long hours of labor this project has required.
PUC administration made its annual visit to the field station this summer and spent some time helping. Pam Sadler, vice president of alumni and advancement, said that the day was fun and definitely “a great way to contribute to such an important project. It was inspiring to work side-by-side with volunteers who have given countless hours to Albion.”
Selfless volunteers have almost completely eliminated the need for costly outside labor, making it possible for the college to avoid using PUC operating funds for the project at all. This project has been made possible entirely by generous donors who care about Albion.
