- Tonight on "WPBS Weekly, "Inside the Stories," we sit down with Mark Manske to talk about his series, "Adventures with Stoney," and learn about what it takes to be a Gabboon.

And the contributions of women in trades are transforming industries and inspiring future generations, discovering how the momentum behind this movement is changing the way young women plan their future careers.

Your stories, your region coming up right now on "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories."

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- Good Tuesday evening, everyone, and welcome to this edition of "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories."

I'm Michael Riecke.

We begin tonight inside the studio with author, educator and birds of prey expert Mark Manske.

When he is not rescuing raptors, he's writing about it in his seven-book series, "Adventures with Stoney."

Tonight he joins WPBS' Luke Smith to discuss his latest book in the series, and to help him out, one of his Gabboons came along.

(gentle music) - Thank you, Michael.

Folks at home, welcome back to the "WPBS" studios.

I'm Luke Smith, and we've got a familiar face back in the studio with us today.

This is Mark Manske.

Folks at home who don't know him, he is an author and the brains behind Adirondack Raptors.

Mark, welcome to the studio.

- Yeah, thanks for having us back.

- And who's your friend you brought with you today?

- This is Kristen, or as I like to call her, Ug, and she is one of my Gabboons, and she's featured in many of the books.

- Yeah.

- So let's get started right away in talking about your books, "Adventures With Stoney."

You are on seven books at this point, with your latest, "Gabboons And the Secret Treasure of Colonel Blood."

Can you talk to me a little bit first about the inspiration behind "Adventures With Stoney?"

- I used to be a teacher, and after I got done teaching, I thought I still wanna do something that kind of teaches kids.

And a good friend of mine, Gary VanRiper, who does the Adirondack Kids series, I was talking to him, and he kind of got me started.

And people always wonder, you know, "'Adventures With Stoney,' who the heck is Stoney?"

Well, I grew up in Potsdam, and our school mascot was a sandstoner, and so that's where I got the name from.

- Okay, I was kind of curious 'cause when I looked on the website, I thought it was like a golden lab.

There's a golden lab in all of these stories.

- Reggie.

Yeah, Reggie.

I have a yellow lab named Reggie, and he popped up at book two, yeah.

- So what made you wanna bring him into the stories?

- Well, I mean, you write what you know about, and these stories are loosely based on my life and what I do, and Reggie's a big part of my life.

The first one, "The Great Snowy Owl Caper" was when I was buried in the snow at the Malone Airport trying to catch a snowy owl, which really happened.

Number two, she's in "The Ghost of an Adirondack Elephant," I grew up in Potsdam, and I kept hearing the stories about the Barnum and Bailey train accident, and I said, "Wouldn't it be cool if we did like an archeological dig, dug up an elephant skull?"

Book three, we band saw-whet owls every year, so it's basically written about our different experiences banding saw-whets.

Book four, we rescued a red-tailed hawk that had a big, puffed-up foot and would've died.

And the whole thing was about getting her back into the wild.

Book six, when I was teaching, I took kids out to Wyoming to pan for gold.

Yeah, so that's that one.

That's book five.

And then six is the "The Goshawk Gabboon," which, we band goshawks every year, so it's built on a lot of things that we've done working with goshawks.

And then "Colonel Blood" was my first one where I, you know, it's about a scavenger hunt, and I never did a scavenger hunt in my life, but I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool?"

So it was more me stepping out, more writing about stuff that I didn't experience, but I thought it came out really well, you know?

- You mention Gabboons a lot in each of your titles.

There's four of your books that have Gabboons in each of the titles.

Kristen, I think this is where you can help me out.

Can you talk to me a little bit and educate me about what a Gabboon is?

- So a Gabboon is basically an apprentice, and it's a hand-me-down name from when Mark was an apprentice as well.

So the Hammerstroms gave their Gabboons that title, and they made sure to spell it with two Bs because it's more offensive that way.

So Mark's kind of bringing their legacy down with him, and so now he has a bunch of Gabboons, and it's basically anyone that goes out and constantly works with him with birds, and goes and does a part of banding, or just going out and doing like migration counts.

Like, there's always something bird-related that we do.

So we're kind of the little picked on individuals that get the name Gabboons, but we're all kind of an apprentice, in a certain way.

- I wanna go into a little bit more about some of the stuff that you guys do, but I also wanna know, you mentioned before the camera started rolling that you're from Vermont.

How did you find Mark Manske and what made you wanna become a Gabboon with Mark?

- So I went to Paul Smiths, and Mark was teaching a course called Adirondack Raptors.

So that goes over all the birds that are in, like, the New York area.

And I've grown up with a passion for wildlife.

My family has always hunted and fished, so my career goal was to do something in fisheries and wildlife, and that's what my major was, so I took that course with Mark, and then instantly, once we started working with the birds, it was like I was hooked on it.

And he is also a falconer, so that got me into falconry, and now I'm in my second year as an apprentice.

So I think I'll always work with birds for the rest of my life.

It's just something I really enjoy.

- And you've been with Mark since 2017, correct?

- [Kristen] Around there.

I think that was right, yeah.

- So is there something in like a contract that says that Mark can add you to his books?

'Cause I know you're Ug in "The Adventures with Stoney" series.

- So that kinda came up, my father made a joke when we were little, 'cause my last name's Lee, so he was saying that if my sister and I were boys, he'd name us Ug and Fug, so I told Mark that story, and I instantly was branded that within, what was it, the first week of classes?

- And she was complaining to a friend of hers.

She goes, "I actually hate him calling me Ug," and he said, "Well, you know, you went out of your way and told him the story on the very first day you met him," and I'm shaking my head, I'm like, "Pretty much true."

- So you set yourself up like right early on.

- [Kristen] Branded, day one.

- I mean, how does it feel to be a character in Mark's books?

- I always think it's pretty cool.

When I tell people back home, they're like, "You're actually in like a children's book series?"

I'm like, "Yeah, and I've got the books to prove it."

So it's really cool to share, especially with like family members, they think it's so awesome.

I can also tell the back stories to like a couple things Mark's put in the books where I know the story, the real story, not with the character's name, so it's cool to share.

- Because the nice thing is I have four, basically, four Gabboons in the books, so all the different Gabboon stories that happened throughout the years get funneled into those four Gabboons in the stories.

I put Sarah, Sarah's one of my Gabboons.

Well, I had four different Sarahs as Gabboons, so the nice thing is I got a lot of different Sarah stories.

When I picked up Ug, I also had, Carly was working with us, and that was about the time, and so I added her.

And then Jonas is just a character.

He is a character, yeah.

- He's always been.

- Whole characters.

And all of your books have, at least all of them that I know of, have received a Moonbeam Children's Award.

Is that correct?

- [Mark] Mm-hm.

- Talk to me a little bit about that.

Tell me a little bit about that.

- Well, the Moonbeam Children's Book Award, I received a medal for my series.

I sent it out a few years ago.

And I'm not really a I-have-to-get-an-award kind of guy, but I've been looking to try and get my books into schools, like Scholastic, and the only way Scholastic is even gonna look at you is if you go through a literary agent, 'cause they have to have door keepers.

And I was told a better way to get a literary agent is, if you won an award, you're more likely to, you know, get a literary agent interested in working with you.

So far it hasn't worked, but yeah, well.

Yeah, you know, and hope springs eternal.

- And this book got nominated for a Newberry Award, correct?

- Yep, yep, I don't think the Newberry and my style of writing gel as much because I think the Newberry's more kind of social, social-economic kind of, you know, more people oriented, where I'm a little bit more wildlife oriented, but yeah, it was still fun dreaming about it.

- It was still pretty cool that you got nominated for it, honestly.

And so you said all of these have various stories from your life, from your experiences.

Are there any that you would like to share right now?

- Well, if we do, oh, let's... Well, "The Great Snowy Owl Caper," years ago, we tried to catch a snowy owl at the Malone Airport, and style of trap that I used, the snowy owls have big, bristly feet, and the type of trap you use has nooses and the owl kept slipping the nooses.

And so finally I said, "I gotta try something different."

So we actually, we dug a hole in the snow.

I laid down, my buddy buried me in the snow, he tied a string to my wrist, the other end, we tied to a suit of armor around a pigeon, and he put the pigeon on my chest, and then he left.

And he's off in the distance watching, and when the owl showed up, he beep-beeped the horn, so I knew the owl's there, and I got the pigeon moving around.

And my plan was, when the owls swooped down to grab the pigeon, I was gonna come out of the snow, as I like to say, like the Terminator, and grab the owl.

But I was under the snow for well over an hour, and it was like negative 26 degrees, and it ceased to be a brilliant idea about two minutes in.

So finally I was so cold and so numb, I said, "You know, I'm gonna be an icicle," so we gave up on that idea.

But in the book, I have 'em where they caught the bird because I utilized what happened to me, and I also utilized what happened to a buddy of mine out in Wisconsin, where he tried the same thing, and I contacted him.

I said, "Ray, you know that story you told me about the snowy?

Do you mind if I use that in a book?"

And he said, "Sure, go right ahead."

So it's a kind of a combination of what happened with me and what happened with him.

We put it together, and then neither one of us caught the owl in real life, but in the book, we catch it, and then there was the bird had a band on it and yeah, yeah.

So it was pretty cool.

- And you said, when we set this up, that you wanted to be putting out a book a year, to two books a year.

What should we expect from "Adventures With Stoney" in this coming year?

- My illustrator assures me that she can have the cover and the illustrations done for the next book by May 1st.

- Oh, it's already done?

- Yeah, I got two books done, and my third one is almost done.

So eight, nine have been done for over a year now, and book 10 is three quarters of the way done.

- You're like already ahead of the game.

- [Mark] Yeah.

- You're gonna have like book 12 by the end... - Potentially.

- That's the plan, yeah.

So she's hoping to have the illustrations for book nine by, book eight, by May 1st, and then I'm hoping to get that book out by maybe June.

And then the next one will come out in September.

Well, at least that's when the artwork's done and it'll be more like November by the time it comes out.

So two a year, we're hoping.

- So I'm starting to get the time cues to start wrapping us up.

So I wanna know what should people, the target audience is middle schoolers, correct?

- [Mark] Mm-hm.

- So why should more people check out your books?

Like, why should they check them out?

- Well, I mean, it's built on true-life things.

The other thing is, you know, I grew up in Potsdam, I was a kid, you know, a North Country kid, and I remember reading books where I was like, "A-ha, this is really kind of cool, and, boy, wouldn't it be fun to be able to do that?"

And what's nice about these is they're based in the Adirondacks, so kids who are reading 'em here, they're like, "Wait a minute, that's my hometown."

You know, 'cause I have Malone in there, Potsdam, Massena, Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake.

The one that's coming out next fall is at Plattsburgh, so it's all over the North Country.

And so kids are gonna be reading about their own hometowns.

Ogdensburg is in there, you know?

And yeah, I need to get a strip about Watertown.

- That would be cool!

- With your books, I also think kids can kind of relate, and they like the goofy stories that go on, so a lot of it's funny and it catches their attention.

And a couple of the books have hidden things in them that the kids have to pick up on and figure out at the end, so it's a fun read.

Like, all the books are really great.

- This one, I actually have a treasure hunt for the kids where I have a hidden message in there, and I have it where if you can figure out this and you send it to me, you know, email me so that I know you got it, I'll put you down and, "Hey, congratulations to so-and-so for figuring out the clue."

- Yeah, and so where can people go to check out your books or even purchase your books?

- Most people purchase my books through my website, and they can order right online.

There are certain stores here and there, but, you know, most of the stores are up in my area, so the easiest way would be online, yeah.

- Well, perfect, folks, you know where to go, you know what to do.

These books all sound super fun and I'd recommend checking them out.

Mark, thank you so much for taking the time to come back to the studio.

Kristen, thank you so much for joining us.

- Thanks for having us.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Trade occupations offer fulfilling, well-paying careers and are increasingly recognized as a viable alternative to college.

Initiatives aimed at exposing young women to trade careers early on, such as hands-on workshops and summer camps are crucial in helping girls discover their potential outside the traditional university system.

The contributions of women in trades are transforming industries and inspiring future generations.

From mentorship opportunities to the growth of supportive networks, the momentum behind this movement is undeniable.

(audience clapping) (screen whooshes) (hammer thudding) - [Gail] Women are becoming more visible in the trade sector, breaking barriers in industries traditionally dominated by men.

At St. Lawrence College, a remarkable shift is happening.

Women, once enrolled as students, are now returning to the college as teachers, bringing their expertise, passion, and firsthand experience in the trades to the next generation.

- 44 years I've been involved with the apprenticeship system, but, I mean, truth be known, back then, there were very few women in the trades, if any, and I am extremely happy to say our enrollment in our programs, I mean, we probably have doubled each year for the last couple of years.

We have a lot of women, actually, that we've been fortunate to teach.

We've watched them go through their entire apprenticeship, we've watched 'em become certified journey people, and then move on, and we actively go out and see if they're interested in teaching for us.

There, again, is a huge reason why we see more women in the trades because now we have female instructors.

- [Gail] Trades offers an incredible opportunity for career growth through apprenticeships, certifications, and hands-on experience.

For many, this is a much more accessible route to success than a traditional four-year university degree.

- My parents, my aunts, guidance counselors, everybody said "Go to university.

That's where you're gonna find your successful careers.

You go to some university program and then you'll go make your six-figure job."

So I went to go study psychology.

I got there, and within the first semester, I realized I hated it.

So I dropped out despite everyone's judgment that first semester, and enrolled into the Exploring the Trades program over at St. Lawrence College.

I liked that every single day I was going in, learning how to do something with my hands, and walking out with a different skill.

So I was learning how to wire a light fixture, how to do a three-way switch, learned how to install a toilet and a sink, learned how to do some soldering, and when I walked away, I was happier than I had been even throughout my whole high school career.

- [Gail] For decades, that emphasis on university education over vocational training led to the perception that trades are less prestigious or lucrative.

Many young people and their families are still unaware of the high earning potential and job stability trades offer.

- You can make serious money doing this.

And one huge benefit is when you do an apprenticeship program, so when I was at Queens, I was paying about $7,500 per semester of tuition.

In an apprenticeship program, you work for 10 months of the year out on the job site, and then for two months of the year, you're at a school in your block release, going to class, taking your shop classes.

When you're on the job, obviously, you're making money, but then when you go to school, you're on unemployment insurance, you're still making 65% of what you normally make.

And because there's such a demand for, you know, people to get into the trades, after you graduate every level of your apprenticeship school, you get a grant back.

For me, when I went through school, they had a women's grant where I got $3,000 for every block I finished.

So I was making money while I was working, I was making money while I was going to school, and then at the end of it, I got three grand I did not have to pay back.

So when the time that I went through school, I paid off a truck.

- [Gail] As lucrative as this career path can be, the skilled trades workforce is aging.

In the US and Canada, the average age of a trades person is often reported to be in the mid to late 40s, or even early 50s.

Fewer younger workers are entering trades to replace those retiring.

- To be honest with you, I think it's the best kept, not necessarily the best kept, it's a secret because, as I say, I've been a trades person for over 40 years and I have always made an extremely good living.

I think it all stems to the shortage of skilled trades workers.

We need so many workers, and we just need to fill those positions and we need to bring students, bring the students' attention to the trades at an earlier stage so we spark the interest, and it allows them to pursue it as a career when they know about it.

Because, in the past, they didn't necessarily know about it because it wasn't in the schools for a while, and now that it's back in the schools, it's great.

- I had a grade six, seven, and eight girls camp, so, very young girls, and they were all welding, they all loved it.

And I said, "If I ever had an opportunity when I was that young, I would've been welding way before."

You know, I wouldn't have wasted so much time in my life on dead-end jobs and all that kinda stuff.

- [Gail] Initiatives aimed at exposing young women to trades early on are crucial, and St. Lawrence College is leading the charge to bring more women into the trades through innovative outreach programs and community partnerships.

- It's just that the workforce is gonna need tradespeople.

We are short tradespeople regardless.

It doesn't matter of your gender, it just matters if you wanna work in the trades or not.

We're gonna need people to build houses, we're gonna need people to weld structures, just gonna keep going on, so with that huge gap of Boomers retiring, and we wanna get more people in the trades regardless, but tapping into the woman workforce is, you know, it's a potential that can get us a lot more workers, obviously.

- [Gail] Let's face it, we will always need skilled tradespeople, and with more women stepping in, the industry will be ready to meet the needs of a diverse and changing world.

- One of the things I mention to my students at the beginning in level one is, "I dare you to find something that is in this world today that wasn't created or had the hands of a tradesperson involved."

Doesn't matter what you're looking at, whether you're talking building construction, road construction, environmental concerns, solar energy, environmental care, all of these things are definitely all connected and will forever.

- [Gail] For "WPBS Weekly," I'm Gail Paquette.

- The story of England's King Henry VIII and the ill-fated Anne Boleyn has fascinated us for centuries, spawning movies, television shows, and documentaries too numerous to count.

"PBS's" own very popular series "Wolf Hall" chronicled the tragic events that led to Anne's beheading.

The program's sequel returns to "PBS" later this month.

"Wolf Hall, The Mirror And the Light" covers the period after the death of Anne Boleyn in 1536.

The six-part series follows the last four years of Thomas Cromwell's life, from his ascent to power to his fall from royal favor and public execution in 1540.

Here's a sneak preview.

(gentle music) (suspenseful music) - You have few friends, Cromwell.

They don't know how to deal with you.

(suspenseful music continues) - When your only course is to destroy your enemy before they wake in the morning, have the ax in your hand.

(suspenseful music continues) - "Wolf Hall, the Mirror And the Light" on Masterpiece premieres on "WPBS TV" on Sunday, March 23rd at 9:00 pm.

Well, that does it for this Tuesday night.

Join us next time for a fresh look "Inside the Stories."

Learn about New York's maple sugar making processes and traditions just in time for Maple Weekend.

And a fashion show featuring amazing designs from the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.

Also, Canadian singer songwriter Gerald McGrath joins us in the studio to perform his original song, "Kenopsia."

Meantime, if you have a story idea you'd like us to explore, we'd love to learn more.

All you need to do is drop us an email at wpbsweekly@wpbstv.org, and let's share it with the region.

Well, "WPBS Weekly" is just one of the many ways we provide programming and outreach that educates, informs and connects communities across the North Country, but these essential services are at risk.

You can learn more at protectmypublicmedia.org.

Thank you.

That's it for now, everyone.

Have a safe night and we'll see you on the next episode.

Take care.

(uplifting music) - [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories" is brought to you by.

- [Announcer] When you're unable to see your primary care provider, the Carthage Walk-in Clinic is here for you, located off Route 26 across from Carthage Middle School.

Comfort and Healing close to home when you need it most.

(uplifting music) - [Announcer] North Country Orthopaedic Group is there for your urgent ortho or sports-related injuries.

With our onsite surgical center and same or next-day appointments, we're ready to provide care for patients of all ages.

Your health matters to us.

North Country Orthopaedic Group, keeping healthcare local.

- [Announcer] We are the North Country, where protecting one another like family is who we are, and where our tomorrow will always be worth defending.

Find out how we keep the North Country strong at claxtonhepburn.org today.

- [Announcer] Select musical performances are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, administered by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.

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