Nature journaling…children’s literature…hydrogeology. What do these have in common? All are part of the popular series of Walks and Talks offered by Vinalhaven Land Trust (VLT) that help participants connect with the unique natural and historical gifts of the island.
This season, VLT has put together a diverse array of programs focused on such topics as spring warblers, wildflowers, botany, lichens and climate change. Three longer programs offer an even deeper immersion into their subject matter, with evening talks followed by next-morning walks to significant sites.
In late June, Susie Mottashed of Boulder, Colorado led an evening discussion where she shared her nature journals and spoke about why people choose to sketch from nature. The purpose might be creative. Or the appeal could be more scientific; to note and record the specific features of a given organism. There are even spiritual reasons; many claim to feel a closer connection with nature and a sense of peace that comes from closely observing and physically sketching what they see. Mottashed read passages from her book, Who Lives in Your Backyard? and showed an excerpt of the forthcoming companion DVD of the same name.
The next morning the group met at Lane’s Island Preserve to claim a small piece of the landscape to sketch for the next two hours. Mottashed unobtrusively checked in with each sketcher and offered encouragement and guidelines as participants put their first tentative marks on paper. Some hadn’t attempted to draw anything since grade school, yet at the end of the session there was a unanimous sense of accomplishment. Participants expressed wonder, not just with the sketches they had made, but with the process: slowing down, being still, closely observing the form of a rugosa rose or the translucent wings of a tiny bee.
Two events remain on the VLT schedule for this summer. On Aug. 10, longtime seasonal resident Elva Hunt will speak about the literature of children’s writer Margaret Wise Brown, author of such childhood classics as Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Wise Brown wrote several of her books while summering on Vinalhaven in the 1940s, including The Little Island, which she could see from her summer home. Hunt first became aware of Wise Brown’s work when she was studying at Bank Street College, then in Greenwich Village, the same school Wise Brown had once attended. Hunt read The Little Island and thought, “that could be Vinalhaven,” later learning that, indeed, there was a connection. Hunt brings her enthusiasm for the work and life of Margaret Wise Brown to her talk co-sponsored by Vinalhaven Public Library.
The next day Jim Boone will lead a walk to The Only House, as Wise Brown named her island home. Boone, a summer resident and historic preservationist, has researched Wise Brown’s work as it is connected with her life and experiences on Vinalhaven. Drawing from diverse sources, he will share old photos and stories, read from her books, and show how pieces of Vinalhaven and its inhabitants found their way into her work. This portion of the program is co-sponsored by Vinalhaven Historical Society.
Capping this season of programs will be an evening talk on Aug. 24 about Vinalhaven’s groundwater aquifer. Dr. Andrew DeWet, an environmental geologist at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is leading an ongoing study of the quantity and quality of the island’s water, always a topic of concern and debate. He and three graduate students, working as part of the Keck Geology Consortium, are monitoring drilled wells for possible saltwater intrusion, and Dr. DeWet will present their findings to date. The following morning participants will go to one of the monitoring sites where he will continue his presentation.
Vinalhaven Land Trust is committed to preserving the natural spaces, water resources and historic areas of the island for all to use and enjoy. They seek to foster a deeper connection with this unique place by offering programs that enhance the interconnection between people and their island community. For further information contact VLT at 863-2543. q
Colleen O’Neill Conlan has lived year-round on Vinalhaven for 19 years.