The Chicago Skyline from the Shedd Aquarium.

Say the word “shedder” in Maine and folks instantly think of soft shell lobsters. Say it in Chicago and it means something else entirely.

    Roxie’s cousin Ernie Sawyer and his wife Kathy recently retired after well more than 30 years each as aquarists and museum specialists at the venerable Shedd Aquarium on the Chicago waterfront overlooking Lake Michigan. Today we had the distinct pleasure to have them as our personal tour guides when we visited the institution to see its many wonderful and informative displays and exhibits.The stunning panorama of the Chicago skyline from there was an extra bonus.

    Located just a stone’s throw from Soldier Field, the home of “Da Bears,” the Shedd was founded by retailer John G. Shedd (a protégé of Marshall Field) in the 1930s and has expanded and grown in the decades since. Both Ernie and Kathy devoted themselves to educating the public and taking care of the 32,000 fish, reptiles, amphibians, exotic plants and other organisms spread out over scores of fresh and salt water tanks. Ernie, in fact, was so respected that they named the aquarium’s new octopus “Sawyer,” in his honor when he retired.

Ernie Sawyer points to an octopus named in his honor

    Both are walking encyclopedias of fish species and marine life. In a game of Piscine Jeopardy you would never stand a chance against them.

    Like others in the staff of 400 who work there, their careers were cut short by the changes wrought by the institution addressing its survival in a time of COVID. They had not been back in a year so they were as eager to see how it had changed as we were to see it for the first time.

    We spent nearly four hours wandering through the exhibits, taking pictures and learning more about not just the 1,500 species in the collection but also what is involved in taking care of these rare and treasured resources.

    Along with finding out more about Caribbean and Australian coral reefs, we explored how fish species adapt to the cycles of flood and low water in the Amazon. Yes, they had several tanks of flesh-eating Piranha which, after watching scary jungle movies as a kid, I was led to believe would much more of a problem once I became an adult. (The same goes for quicksand.)

A view of the Shedd's "Wild Reef" exhibit.

    One large hall held tanks devoted to the freshwater species found in Lake Michigan and the other great lakes. Visitors can see seals, sea lions, dolphins, Beluga whales, and sea otters from both above and below the water.

    One exhibit even profiled the dangers and damage of invasive marine species such as Asian Carp and Zebra Mussels.

    While many institutions easily fulfill their missions regardless of physical location, it seems the Shedd is perfectly poised at the precise boundary between the concrete and steel of a city of nearly three million people, and the sprawling natural world of the 300-mile-long freshwater lake right outside. It’s impact, however, reaches much farther than just the length of the largest lake contained entirely within the United States. It extends around the globe where scientists and researchers are struggling to save scores of marine species from the effects of Climate Change. 

    In that regard, dedication to sounding the alarm, educating the public and increasing understanding of the natural world should make “Shedders,” of us all.