Riverside, Calif., March, 2000--Just down the hill from Calkins Hall and immediately adjacent to the La Sierra University Administration Building sits a small tract of untrammeled tranquility.

Since it was first established in 1992, this small pond and its bubbling waterfall has been a favorite spot for passersby and home to a thriving colony of fish. A majestic weeping willow gave shade to the idyllic spot and occasionally a white flower would bloom among the pond's water lilies. The site was initially built to honor the memory of Brian Powell, the son of a La Sierra faculty member who died after an illness in 1991.

But for almost a year, this beautiful campus landmark sat empty, drained and bleak. For in the big windstorms of early 1999 the massive willow tree fell to earth - and parts of it square upon the pastoral spot it shaded. The disturbance damaged the pipes that fed the pond and the bubbling waterfall. But an even bleaker fate came to the pond's residents. The vast majority of the fish died in the weather-related trauma and the attendant clean up. Next came a repair job on the pond's concrete floor. The newly drained basin became not only inhospitable for fish, but also a bleak site for passersby.

The few fish survivors that remained were transferred cross campus to an aquarium in the Biology Department. But the overcrowded tank proved to be as hostile as the cruel Santa Anna winds. More fish died. Were it not for the efforts of Kristy Marson, this poignant story might end on that sad note. But the junior zoology major from Lodi had other plans. As a pre-veterinary student, she confesses to a certain tenderness toward animals. Just elected president of the La Sierra Student Association for the 2000-2001 school year, she has established her self as a campus leader.

Part leader, part animal activist. So who better than Marson to save the pond? Since early January, the junior biology major has made the restoration of a damaged campus ecosystem a personal crusade. "Nobody really stopped by the pond after the fish died," Marson said. "So I guess I wanted to make it a place worth visiting again." Since even good intentions need approval, the resourceful student started by going to the top. She spoke with La Sierra President Larry Geraty who gave his personal blessing to Marson's enviro-initiative. "This is a college president's dream," said Geraty. Usually heavy financial issues and academic turf wars furrow the brows of administrators. So he said giving approval to a campus restoration project was the easiest thing on that day's agenda. "I felt like saying: Bless you and may your tribe increase," Geraty said.

Step two on this crusade? Get fish. Like most college students, Marson doesn't have too much money for her basic necessities - and even less in her "fish acquisition fund." Help would come in the unlikeliest of places - the nearby Wal-Mart in Corona. A close-out sale in the pet aisle meant fish were just 50 cents each on the day she visited. So the cash-strapped La Sierra student was able to buy 11 fish - 2 koi, 1 fantail, and 8 comets (large goldfish).

During the week of Jan. 10, Marson got permission from the La Sierra Grounds Department to refill the recently repaired pond. On Friday, Jan. 14, the store-bought fish were released into the wild. Life was restored to the La Sierra pond.

"It was night when we first put them in and my biggest fear was about how cold the water was," Marson said. "But when I came back the next day, they were still there."

The only remaining survivors from before (a hearty catfish, two comets and two plucky guppies) were transferred from their crowded Palmer Hall digs back to the pond. It was an aquatic homecoming on the La Sierra campus.

Since then, Marson has cleaned out debris and dead leaves from the pond. She wants to reintroduce the lilypads that provided shelter to the fish. (Currently they use a few large rocks in the pond's center for those non-feeding moments when cover seems preferable.) With her own money, Marson continues to purchase the fish food -- from Wal Mart -- that she gives to the pond dwellers on an every-other-day basis.

"Unfortunately, they don't really know me æ fish are never really the personable types," said the future veterinarian.

Working with personnel from La Sierra Grounds, she's developing an ambitious site improvement plan. One idea is to create a Japanese garden complete with bamboo arrangements, ornamental grass clusters and Bonsai maples.

"Kristy's been an inspiration to us, the way she's stepped forward and made this project her own," said Dan Graham, La Sierra Grounds foreman. A thankful university campus awaits the final project. A thriving goldfish school awaits its next meal. A pond is restored.

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