Article and primary photos by Michael Morgan
AE Magazine November–December 2008
AE Magazine November–December 2008
the loss of Danny and Susan Martin’s beloved pet dog “Ranger”. But, as such stories often go, it has a very happy ending.
The Martins serve together as fulltime Park Rangers at the Philpott Lake, Army Corps of Engineers Recreational Area near Bassett, Virginia. One day as they were driving along a narrow country road in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near their home, Susan spotted out of the corner of her eye a small, somewhat emaciated light-tan colored, mixed breed puppy, peering out at them from the center of a pile of old automobile tires which had been thoughtlessly discarded alongside the road. Stopping to investigate, they concluded that the puppy, just like the
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his story begins on a somewhat sad note with
FACING: Susan and Danny Martin pose with Bobber overlooking a portion of Philpott Lake where they serve as Park Rangers. TOP: The entrance hall to the Corps Visitor’s Center at Philpott. BOTTOM: Beautiful Philpott Lake located in Southwest Virginia near Bassett has 100 miles of rugged and wild shoreline. It is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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AE Magazine November–December 2008
abandoned tires, had been tossed aside by a thoughtless and uncaring person. The small animal had been doing the best it could to survive on its own. Skittish at first, the puppy refused to come when coaxed by the Martins. However, after a great deal of persuasion he timidly gave in to their kindness. Checking with the few homes nearby to attempt to determine if the puppy had come from there, the Martins eventually found it had indeed been abandoned. Adopting the puppy as their own was an easy decision for them to make. Following a trip to the local veterinarian office for a quick check-up, and a couple of weeks getting acclimated within the Martin’s household, a comment was made that they had yet to give the puppy a name. Given their positions as Corps of Engineers Park Rangers, much of their typical workdays involved educating hundreds of adults and children concerning water safety and the natural environment within the park. They were thus familiar with one aspect of the Corps’ water-safety program that had been designed for children…titled “Bobberthe Water Safety Dog”. Using a cartoon character created by the Corps as its centerpiece and logo, an educational water-safety program had been designed for children, complete with its own childrenoriented website (www.bobber.info), coloring books, pin-on buttons, trading cards and other free merchandise designed to attract the attention of young children—and indirectly the attention of their parents. Fitting the cartoon version of Bobber with his own colorful life jacket, cartoon drawings and other informative materials focused on the importance of wearing properly approved personal floatation devices (PFDs) while boating or during other water-oriented activities. The Corps had been experiencing great success with this program throughout all its water recreational areas all over the United States, and Philpott Lake was no exception. So, as the Martins sat that evening pondering what name to give their newly adopted family pet, Danny said to Susan, “You know, he does sort of look like (the cartoon) Bobber so why don’t we just give him that name?” Susan concurred and said, “We could train him to wear a life jacket of his own, and use him in our classes to help teach kids the importance of water-safety.” Thus began the transformation of a once abandoned puppy, into a real-life version of the popular Corps of Engineers’ cartoon figure Bobber. Getting a real-life Bobber into the organization as an “official” representative involved both Martins having to develop formal guidelines and standard operating policies for his use. That included gaining approval by their local area manager, and then finally by the Wilmington District of the Corps of Engineers located in Wilmington, NC. There were no objections at any level, and in fact all who learned about the Martin’s initiative were extremely supportive. “Bobber” Martin is now just a few months shy of being a year old. His first official day at work as a Corps representative was last Memorial Day when he quickly attracted the attention of all with whom he came in contact—in campgrounds and other park areas, wearing his new, bright yellow life jacket complete with sewn-on Corps of Engineers patches. As children ran up to greet the excited, tail-wagging dog, parents followed close behind. While all petted and spoke kindly to Bobber, the Martins passed out “Bobber” coloring books, trading cards with a “Bobber” photo, and other water– safety related information. The missions and tasks performed at all Corps of Engineers Recreational Areas by Rangers such as Danny and Susan Martin often go unrecognized. In the case of Susan, she came to the Corps of Engineers as a full-time Park Ranger in 2002 following years of volunteer work at local
AE Magazine November–December 2008
occurred in October 1937. This flood caused extensive damage to industrial, commercial, and residential establishments along the Smith River. The “Philpott Project” first appeared in 1934 as part of a “308” Report in a House of Representative document. This report, a comprehensive plan for the development of the Roanoke River and its’ tributaries, was initially deemed economically unjustifiable. Over the next twelve years, there were six proposed alternate development plans. A conference was held in early 1946 between representatives of the Federal Power Commission; the Norfolk, Virginia District of the
Online “Google” map of the Philpott Lake region, available at www.corpslakes.us.
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ne of the greatest floods on record in the Smith River Valley in Southwestern Virginia near Martinsville
Army Corps of Engineers, including the District Engineer; and the North Atlantic Division. It was decided then to prepare a definite report covering the present site. After further study and cost comparisons, it was proven that a concrete gravity dam with a powerhouse at the toe of the dam was the best solution. The riverbed itself was excavated by a team of contractors building the dam. Construction required 110,000 cubic yards of excavation, 26,000 lineal feet of drilling, 320,000 cubic yards of concrete, 265,000 barrels of cement, and 610,000 tons of crushed stone and sand for concrete aggregate. The cost of the Project was about $6,500,000. Philpott Reservoir has a total storage capacity of 250,000 acre-feet. The lake has a surface area of 3.9 to 4.5 square miles with approximately 100 miles of shoreline.
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Ranger Danny Martin and Bobber pose with new friends in a Philpott Lake campground last summer. To help children learn all about water safety , they are given coloring books and other free items focused on Bobber the cartoon dog. Being able to meet the real-life version is a special treat for them, and their parents. (Photo courtesy of Philpott Lake Visitors Center) 30
TOP: Aerial view of the Philpott Lake dam and surrounding area. The location of the Corps of Engineers Visitors Center is highlighted.(Photo from Commonwealth of Virginia DNR) RIGHT: The Philpott Lake Visitors Center receives thousands of annual visitors from all over the world. In fact, Corps of Engineers recreational areas have more visitors annually than any other federal agency.
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AE Magazine November–December 2008
recreational areas. Growing up in Blacksburg, Virginia, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Radford University and initially began work in areas of criminal justice, helping to rehabilitate youth offenders and substance abusers. Calling herself a “Girl Scout” for life, she had a desire to work outside with “natural” things as much as she could, and did so by volunteering to work in that regard in addition to her full-time job. When a full-time vacancy for a Park Ranger opened at Philpott, she jumped at the opportunity. As for Danny Martin, he was raised in Bassett, Virginia and Philpott Lake was right in his backyard so to speak. Graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he later obtained a Masters Degree in Secondary Education. He too was deeply interested in working within the natural environment. Part time work at Philpott soon evolved into full-time work after the DuPont facility where he worked in Martinsville closed. Water safety is just one of many focus areas in which the Martins are involved on a daily basis. Susan, for example, instructs visitors about local wildlife and gives interpretive presentations pertaining to local history. Danny does the same, and also created a new educational program for visitors related to fossil fuels and hydroelectric power, as they pertain to the environment. Both he and Susan agreed that what they do overall is to concentrate more on “thought and understanding” by visitors, and less on just presenting facts. Their efforts, as well as the efforts of other Park Rangers, have been extremely successful at Philpott Lake, since there have been no drownings in ten years at this popular boating and fishing lake with over 100-miles of shoreline. Danny and Susan Martin have been married for two years now, and if ever two people were destined to be together it’s them. Both are certified as Commonwealth of Virginia Master Naturalists, in addition to being professional Park Rangers for the Army Corps of Engineers. In that regard they devote a significant share of their personal time working with the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, Virginia Tech and other Virginia colleges and universities, local schools and churches, and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. In reference to the loss of their first family dog, Ranger, and then finding Bobber, Susan said, “When Ranger died I grieved for weeks and weeks. It was so surprising how much that dog had an impact in my life. But I believe we were given a gift…another dog to love…who would return that love to us. When we first laid eyes on Bobber, hiding under that pile of tires, love’s full circle was completely fulfilled—the loss of Ranger opened a passage for Bobber to enter”. AE
AE Magazine November–December 2008
The author is the Editor of Army Engineer magazine. His home is but a short drive from Philpott Lake, and he spends many relaxing hours annually fishing, kayaking and exploring as much as he can about the beauty of living in Southwest Virginia…in part due to the dedicated efforts of Park Rangers working with the Army Corps of Engineers.
TOP: Ranger Susan Martin greets Bobber as he is helped to exit the vehicle in which he travels. His friendly and willing attitude makes him a wonderful real-life representative of the Corps-sponsored “Bobber Dog” program, often portrayed in Corps Visitor’s Centers with the stuffed toy dog in the photo to the right. Bobber is shown above in his new bed, a few days after he was found abandoned. FACING PAGE: The VERY lucky dog.
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