The materials in this collection date roughly from 1975-2008, though there are a few photocopies of documents from 1958-1967 and at least one letter dated 2010, with the bulk of materials documenting the period between 1984-2004. The major subject of the collection is Havlik's observation of and participation in environmental issues in the Upper Mississippi River Region, specifically in and around the city of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The type of documents included in the collection range from handwritten notes to extensive clam surveys to dredging plans.
The papers are divided into nine series: CHRONOLOGICAL FILES, CORRESPONDENCE, FIELD JOURNALS, JOURNALS, MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS, PRINT MATERIALS, REPORTS, SUBJECT FILES, and AUDIO FILES.
The CHRONOLOGICAL FILES consist of documents grouped together by designated year. Havlik kept almost every scrap of paper that was related to her research and she often made notes on this material, providing direct reactions to the information conveyed. The types of materials in this series include correspondence, memos, requested reports and documents from government agencies, newspaper clippings, reports, public notices and meeting information. The information contained in this series provides the rich context of her interactions with government agencies, environmental organizations, concerned citizens, and the legal representatives for industry and transportation owners. This series reflects the public aspect of her research.
The CORRESPONDENCE series contains material that was originally filed in her ”Red Notebook” (a fact that is referenced on some documents in the collection). This series, covering the time period 1989-2010, highlights the particular issues with which she was involved, the key players and dates, and the seemingly never ending paper trail she followed. Material in this series consists of numerous letters, internal documents and messages to and from government agency officials, local/state/federal politicians, fellow researchers and consultants, zoologists, and concerned citizens. Most of the items are on (either her/their) official letterhead, though some are photocopies of handwritten notes. Havlik made copies of many letters to be distributed to politicians, advocates, and other interested parties. Her role as an environmental activist is evident through the information requests she made and subsequently shared. There are also numerous grant, award, and scholarship applications with rich autobiographical content in this series.
The FIELD JOURNALS, used in conjunction with the JOURNALS series, are the best evidence of Havlik’s role as a self-taught malacologist, biologist, zoologist, and all-around scientist providing documentation of her studies, research methods, and findings. Consisting of two hardcover journals, this series contains her handwritten notes on her fieldwork between 1975-1987, which documented her specimen collecting practices, surveying and translocating of freshwater mollusks, and which provided the basis for her published reports and findings. The FIELD JOURNALS are directly referenced in the JOURNALS series by date and page number.
The JOURNALS series contain an account of Havlik's daily activities between 1975 and 2000 and pertain mainly to her business and research. Originally existing as wire-bound notebooks, this series now consists of folders housing chronological chapters of over twenty years of research and day-to-day activities, meticulously noting everything she did, with whom she spoke, and the duration of time she spent performing specific activities. Browsing through the handwritten journals, one can see the evolution of her research and the development of her business. The notebooks contain the literal context of her thought processes, decisions, and interactions with the various communities with which she was involved.
MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS contain notes, minutes, contact lists, notices about public hearings, handouts and additional information to do with the Upper Mississippi River Region, its ecosystems and their relation to business and industry along the river. Many of the documents in this series were created by or addressed to the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission and the Division of Hearings and Appeals in the Public Intervenor's office. The material in this series dates from 1977-2005, though most items are focused on the events occurring between 1984 and 1990. This series is rich in first-hand accounts and opinions of each side. Though it is not the most thorough series, it does offer some insight into what the public was aware of and the steps the public took to protect its community or threatened species.
The PRINT MATERIALS series contains government agency public notices and technical reports (most from the Corps of Engineers which come complete with her comments and notes), newsletters, and assorted newspaper clippings, the bulk spanning 1985-2005. Concerned citizens and researchers Havlik befriended sent her numerous newspaper clippings relative to the issues they were addressing or related topics. Most of the newspapers are local to Prairie du Chien and La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The REPORTS are Havlik's published works and findings based on her research and collaborative efforts. Each report reflects the research documented in the FIELD JOURNALS and JOURNALS series. These published reports demonstrate the depth of Havlik's research for various industries, agencies, and scientific communities with which she was collaborating. The reports, originally bound by plastic spines, focus on the Higgins' Eye and other freshwater mollusk species found in the Upper Mississippi, St. Croix, and Wisconsin Rivers as studied by Havlik and her teams between 1978 and 2007, the bulk of which cover 1993-2003.
The SUBJECT FILES series consists primarily of information about and from government agencies, businesses, and industries with which she was working (sometimes with, sometimes against). The key agencies Havlik was working with were the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Corps of Engineers. The companies responsible for barge, harbor, and related river activities along the Upper Mississippi River in or near Prairie du Chien included Didion Inc., and Prairie Sand and Gravel.
The AUDIO RECORDINGS consist of two-90 minute audiocassette tapes. They are recordings of lectures given in 1984 by Professor Thomas O. Claflin, former professor of Limnology and River Studies in the Department of Biology, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The topics discussed in the lectures include: environmental law, groundwater, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Upper Mississippi River.
