When Ron Schara grew up, the people who lived along the waterfront weren't folks with million-dollar homes. Far from it. "They were almost exclusively commercial fishermen or poor people," Schara said. "If you were fairly well to do, you didn't live on the river. You were on higher ground."

How things change. Today, when he drives along the Mississippi River roads between Winona, Minn., and Lansing, Iowa, and thereabouts, the big new homes have riverfront views. "I don't even recognize it," he said. Schara, host of the popular television show "Minnesota Bound," grew up in the bluff region near the Mississippi River in northeastern Iowa.

When he was a child, he remembers spending weekends with relatives who had a cabin on the Mississippi River. Memories include regularly walking through nettles from the cabin to the river on his quest to fish for bluegills.

Those early days in rural Iowa planted the seed for his love of nature. At 18 he started realizing how much of the natural world he took for granted. He clearly recalls a field trip with his ornithology classmates and the moment he spotted a rose-breasted grosbeak through his binoculars.

"I will never forget that," Schara said. "I had lived there all summer and hadn't seen one. How could I have been on the earth 18 years and never saw a rose- breasted grosbeak before?" The experience caused him to look more closely at the outdoor world's beauty and abundance.

Schara spent one year studying music at the McPhail College of Music before switching to Iowa State University where he studied journalism and fish and wildlife. "Many people don't realize that I played the trumpet professionally," he said. "My dad's side of the family was very musical. I got into music as a kid."

The tug between love of the outdoors and love of music played itself out all through his school years, and was especially keen in high school. "I was really torn in high school," Schara said. Little did he know that all the pieces would someday fit together; his present career combines his background in communications and the outdoors, and certainly the use of his voice. Schara worked as an outdoors columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune before moving to television broadcasting.

"I never thought I'd be doing this but it is interesting how things go together. All the pieces were there."

Enter 'Minnesota Bound'

Today, Schara is the host and down-home storyteller on the popular show "Minnesota Bound." He frequently gets teased about his job. "People ask me, 'How do you know when you're working?' "

The show's popularity still amazes Schara. His approach in telling stories, instead of preaching, probably helps draw in viewers. "I talk about how other people are involved in the outdoors, whether they're an artist or a fly fishing expert. Everybody has a story."

And it's not only people who have a story to tell. One segment that aired this summer, for example, showed close-up footage of a pair of adult robins taking care of their young. "We take robins for granted, yet when you catch them on camera, you see things you've never seen before," Schara said.

Robins are just one natural wonder living in our backyard that can make for fascinating stories. "What's with the wood tick?" he said as another example.

Of course, some credit for the show's popularity needs to be given to Schara's first co-host, Raven, a black Labrador retriever. Because of some health problems, the original Raven has retired from regular television duties, but a new Raven appears with Schara on the program.

Raven joined the program by happenstance. "It was a cold, February day and we were trying to create an interesting set," Schara said. My wife asked, "Why not have the dog appear with you?"

The cameraman, who wasn't keen on the idea because Raven's jet-black coat wouldn't appear well on camera, asked if Schara had something bright and colorful to use with the dog. "I went to the hall closet and the good Lord had a red bandana there, and the cameraman said that was perfect."

No lack of material

One thing's for sure: There are always more discoveries to make in the great outdoors, and more about nature we need to understand. Schara certainly doesn't expect to run out of material any time soon.

If you're looking for your own outdoor adventure, Schara suggests the many state parks in the region. "Minnesota state parks are the jewels of the state," he said. "And if you've never floated on a river, you need to try that.

"We have so many lakes that we tend to ignore the rivers," he said. "Around every bend is a new picture and good fishing." Schara recommends people visit Lake Superior at least once, perhaps renting a charter for fishing.

"We have such variety here - the prairies of the Dakotas, the Canadian wildlife and lakes, Lake Superior, the great agricultural region of southern Minnesota and Iowa, the Mississippi River, Wisconsin's beauty and lakes. You don't have to look far."

Recreational boaters in the upper Midwest are also lucky compared with boaters in some parts of California, Schara said, where reservations are required for boating on certain lakes. And boats on those lakes must travel in the same direction.

One of Schara's favorite places is a day spent fishing for walleye and muskie at Lake of the Woods on the U.S.-Canadian border. The huge lake is peppered with more than 14,000 islands.

Cabin up north

When Schara was looking for the right lake and lake cabin for his family, his priorities were water quality and fishing. He was in charge of picking the general location and lake, and his wife - who isn't swayed as much by a lake's fishing potential - was responsible for picking out the cabin. "She decided what kind of nest to build," Schara said. Their year-round cabin near Walker, Minn., is considered a nesting place; a place to entertain family and friends.

Schara admits to having mixed emotions about lake development. "I love being on a lake but we do need to take care of the land we occupy. So many people want to have blue grass all the way to the lake, and want to clear the 'weeds' out to the lake.

"I think we should consider more lakescaping with natural plantings," he said.

Schara considers himself an optimist as it pertains to conservation. "We are capable of making the right decisions. We have the information and tools to reduce our impact on the environment. That's my hope.

"Pollution and environmental degradation is not what we want to pass on to the next generation. Our forefathers did do dumping in the rivers, but they weren't evil, they just didn't understand the impact.

"The outdoors and nature are important to the quality of our lives - we are the stewards of the natural world."

Catch 'Minnesota Bound' The television program "Minnesota Bound' airs on KARE-channel 11 in Minneapolis- St. Paul, KBJR-channel 6 in Duluth, Minn., KTTC in Rochester, Minn., and KVLY in Fargo, N.D. Schara also hosts "Backroads with Ron and Raven" on the Outdoor Life channel and "Call of the Wild' on the Outdoor channel. Merchandise featured on Minnesota Bound and other outdoor-related items are for sale at the Minnesota Bound store at the Mall of Amer ica, Bloomington, Minn.

Check out the following Minnesota Bound Web sites:
www.mnbound.com
www.minnesotaboundstore.com

By Barb Umberger