By Audrey Posten
For the past year, a monthly cultural program at the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre in Marquette has been forging connections for people with memory loss and their caregivers, bringing people together for an hour of learning, fun and friendship.
Called SPARK! for its ability to “spark a moment together,” the program began in September 2024 as a partnership between the Wetlands Centre and the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Eagle Country in Wisconsin, with support from Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging. Programs are designed to keep participants actively engaged in their communities through experiences that stimulate conversations, provide peer support and inspire creativity.
SPARK! was first established in Wisconsin and now includes a network of two dozen museums and cultural and nature centers across the region who provide programming based around cooking, art-making, drama/dance, music/song, poetry, storytelling and nature.
A grant through the Milwaukee-based foundation Bader Philanthropies is supporting the first two years of the program at the Wetlands Centre.
“The Bader Foundation, one of their focuses is dementia. Even though we’re in Iowa, we’re just across the border from Wisconsin and close enough we were able to apply and get funding for the first two years to help get training on how to engage people best and pay for presenters, snacks or supportive things to get the program up and running,” explained Wetlands Centre Director Alicia Mullarkey. “We’ve got the perfect space, and it falls so naturally into what we’re already doing and the approaches we take with kids.”
SPARK! is held the third Tuesday of each month, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre, located at 509 U.S. Highway 18, in Marquette. Mullarkey leads the programs with Pam Kul-Berg, a dementia care specialist of ADRC of Eagle Country, which serves Crawford and Richland counties. Some months, there are guest presenters.
Mullarkey said there’s a monthly theme, often based around the season. Focuses have included monarch butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and birds.
Throughout the 90 minutes, attendees talk and answer what Kul-Berg called a “beautiful question.”
“Rather than asking ‘What kind of bird is that?’ which requires recall memory and shuts down the conversation, instead say, ‘If you were a bird, where would you like to go?’” she described.
A large portion of the program, though, features movement, poetry, music or hands-on projects associated with the theme—like holding a butterfly chrysalis, making a “toad abode” by covering a pot in clay, listening for birds, collecting seeds, walking on the trails or crafting wreaths with natural materials.
“It’s a creative, hands-on experience for people, and not just somebody presenting,” shared Mullarkey. “We’re focusing on using all your senses and meeting people where they’re at. What do we smell? What do we see? What do we touch? How does this make you feel?”
Kul-Berg likened SPARK! to a support group, “but without saying it’s a support group.” There’s no circle or on-the-spot sharing, but instead an engaging, laid-back environment where attendees can have fun conversations through their experiences and memories. In the process, they support one another.
“They’re here every month and they look forward to it. They make connections with each other and resources beyond. That is my favorite thing,” said Mullarkey. “They get to know someone who’s going through that same journey they are. They can relate to each other and want to do things together. Then it’s not so scary. I know how incredibly isolating it can be for the person with dementia and the caregiver. When there’s connection, it makes all the difference in the world.”
Kul-Berg believes it helps break down the stigma of discussing memory loss and dementia, benefitting both the person with memory loss and caregivers. SPARK! helps people open up.
She recalled one man who would never speak at other ADRC programs.
“At SPARK!, he’s laughing, making jokes. He talked duck hunting. I didn’t even know this guy could talk. The change was so dramatic,” Kul-Berg noted.
“Even if they’re not as verbal, you can see the smile, that joy,” Mullarkey added.
The participant testimonials speak for themselves.
One person said, “My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed the SPARK! program. The presentations and activities are very interesting and inspiring. We especially enjoyed the boat ride on the Mississippi River. We look forward to attending each month!”
“SPARK! is a wonderful program,” shared another. “It is very engaging, educational and entertaining. The presenters are excellent and very knowledgeable.”
“Great program,” added one attendee. “My other half and I enjoy it very much. He is always ready to go.”
One year in, Mullarkey said, “I don’t think it could have gone any better than this.”
More people are welcome to attend SPARK! Register by calling the Driftless Area Wetlands Centre at (563) 873-3537.
Musicians, artists or other presenters interested in engaging with participants are also welcome. Call Mullarkey at the above number to discuss opportunities.
