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A gift made this week in memory of an 11-year-old naturalist from rural Lake Mills will further the research of one of her life’s passions.

Albert Lea Seed House employees this week donated funds toward a Motus wildlife tracking system in honor of Mae Helgeson, who was described by all who knew her as enthusiastic and enchanted by birds. The tower, which will be named Mae’s Way Migration Tower, is expected to be installed before the fall migration period at the Hanson Nature Center in Leland, Iowa.

“Mae was just such a special, beautiful young soul,” said Nicole Hansen of Albert Lea Seed House.

Mae died in September after the UTV she was driving flipped over and pinned her underneath in a pond near the family’s rural Lake Mills home.

Her father, Matt, is co-owner and product and production leader at the Seed House, and her death impacted many at the company.

Hansen said every year at the Seed House Christmas party, they pick a place to make donations to, and this year in light of what had happened they decided to made a donation in honor of Mae. While at first they didn’t know what to put the money toward, they knew they wanted it to go toward something that made a difference, she said.

The Helgesons live in Winnebago County, and Hansen said the family spent a lot of time outdoors with Mae. She said employees had talked about making a donation to an Audubon society or something similar, but they really wanted something the family could see or visit.

Eventually, they reached out to Winnebago County Conservation and found out more about raising funds for a Motus tower, which is a research network that tracks small flying organisms such as birds and bats that are tagged. It studies factors such as migration, habitat use, overwintering ecology and others.

“Everyone knows that Mae — she’s a birder,” Hansen said. “She loved bird watching. It really was her passion and her hobby.”

Her mother, Julie Helgeson, said Mae spent hours daily studying birds.

“It wasn’t just the beauty of birds that she was passionate about,” Julie said. “She kind of came to birding from more of a scientific aspect and not just aesthetic.”

The Helgesons said Mae showed an interest in birds even as an infant. Matt said he had made a mobile of origami cranes for his daughter’s crib, and they wonder if the interest spawned from that.

When she got a little older, she would pretend she was a bird and try to fly off of her bed and couches and was always drawn to bird feeders.

When she was 3 or 4 years old, Julie recalled capturing a large migrating flock of black birds one day on video and the look of awe from Mae with how the birds moved together.

“It felt like a really magical experience for her,” she said.

The family also spent a lot of time at their kitchen table, which looks back where their bird feeders are, and Mae would often take notice.

Julie said they had a three-fold Iowa bird pamphlet they had laminated and they also had a bird book.

The interest for Mae really took off, however, when they started homeschooling when Mae was 8 or 9.

“She had the time to just be in that space and noticing those things more,” her mother said.

In addition to looking and studying birds, Mae also liked to draw and photograph them.

Matt and Julie said they were humbled by the gesture from Matt’s co-workers in collecting the funds for the Motus tower. The employees raised a little over $1,000, and then the Seed House matched the donations. Any remaining cost needed for the tower is expected to come from a foundation.

“Their coming together for this was very unexpected and greatly appreciated,” Matt said. “I think it’s a very creative way to remember Mae.”

Julie said the Motus tower will expand the network of towers in this part of the country, as there are currently no towers in the area.

“It’s a really great opportunity to add one to this area,” she said.

They said the conservationist at the nature center has told them the tower will be in the path of a key migration pathway.

In addition to the support from the Seed House, the Helgesons thanked the surrounding community for uplifting and supporting their family after Mae’s passing.