Ed and Tasha Stielstra
info@natureskennel.com    
906-748-0513
PO Box 5  McMillan Mi 49853           
Summer ADDRESS: 9630 Stikine Street
Juneau, AK 99801                                                                           

Who We Are--Meet Ed and Tasha and our 2008 Summer Glacier Guides, Meghan and Cindy

Winter Adventures

Idita-diary--what's going on with Nature's Kennel??

Mutt Club--New for 2007-2008!!  CHECK OUT THE NEW SHIRT DESIGN!

NK Gear--Cool clothing with cool sled dogs!!
 
 
Glacier Photos-Summer 2007

Educational Programs

Links--Area lodging, sled dog equipment, and more!

Meet The People of Nature's Kennel

Nature's Kennel Owners:

Tasha Stielstra

Instead of teaching elementary students, Tasha now teaches sled dogs!  Ed finally talked Tasha into racing about 5 years ago. She has since completed La Grande Odyssée in France, and has won Marquette's 240-mile UP 200.  Guess she should have started sooner!

Notable Race Finishes:
La Grande Odyssée 2006 5th place, Orange Award
 
UP 200 2007 7th place
UP 200 2006 1st place Humanitarian Award
UP 200 2005 2nd place (by the infamous "26 seconds")
UP 200 2004 4th place Humanitarian Award
 
John Beargrease 150  2008 5th place 
John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon 2004 13th place (yearling team)
John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon  2003  7th place, Rookie of the Year, Best Kept Team
 

Ed Stielstra

Ed has been racing now for over 13 years.  After graduating from Michigan State University, he started Nature's Kennel in Ludington, Michigan.  After getting married in 1998, he and Tasha moved their kennel to Duluth, Minnesota where they held "real careers" for four years.  They returned to Michigan in 2002 to operate Nature's Kennel Sled Dog Racing and Adventures on a full-time basis. 

Notable Race Finishes:
Iditarod 2008 29th place
Iditarod 2006 46th place  11 days 18 hours 2 minutes
Iditarod  2005 43rd place  12 days 2 hours 40 minutes
Iditarod  2004 60th place 12 days 11 hours 48 minutes
 
UP 200 2008 1st place, course record
UP 200 2006 14th place (yearling team)
UP 200 2005  7th place (yearling team)
UP 200 2004 10th place (yearling team)
UP 200 2003 7th place
 
2008 Summer Glacier Guides
 

 Meghan Luke
Age: 26
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Education: BA Geography from UC-Berkeley
Hobbies/Interests: knitting, backpacking, climbing, playing the fiddle
Favorite Dog in Kennel: Charlet and Tina Turner, her own dogs so she's biased
Race Experience: Flathead Sled Dog Days, Whitefish, MT 2008-1st place, 6-dog class, and Fun Runs/Mush for A Cure, Wolftrack Classic

Meghan is seeking the thrill of glacier life with sled dogs.  She has already experienced Alaskan life, as a bear guide  and a backpacking guide.  She was swindled onto the Nature's Kennel bus because a girl without a dog team is like peanut butter without the jelly.

Cindy Barrand
Age: 32
Hometown: Calk River, Ontario
Education: BSC in Zoology and an outdoor adventure tourism diploma (we think that counts even though it was received in Canada)
Hobbies/Interests: playing the fiddle, knitting, audio visual entrainment,
Favorite Dog in Kennel: Buckwheat
Race Experience:  Great Slave 200, Tustemena 100
 
 
Cindy was one of the guides on the glacier with Ed last summer.   When she found out Ed was forced to Sheep Creek by Tasha, she agreed to go back and run his dogs.  Cindy will not be missing Ed's annoying self in the mornings.  No more hugs or smiles or at 5:30 am. 

Please support these fabulous Nature's Kennel Partners!   If you are interested in joining the Nature's Kennel Corporate team, please email Ed or Tasha.