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CONNECTICUT Woodlands THE WORLD OF EDWIN WAY TEALE NATURALIST, PULITZER PRIZE WINNER, CONNECTICUT HOMESTEADER Also: Trail Advocates Rally to Keep Municipal Lands Accessible The Magazine of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association Fall 2010 Volume 75 No. 3 About Connecticut Forest & Park Association and Connecticut Woodlands Magazine Scott Kruitbosch/Connecticut Audubon Society Learn to observe nature as Edwin Way Teale did, by being patient even in the city. See Leslie Lewis’s article on page 16. Connecting People to the Land Annual Membership Individual $ 35 The Connecticut Forest & Park Association Family $ 50 protects forests, parks, walking trails and open Supporting $ 100 spaces for future generations by connecting Benefactor $ 250 Connecticut Woodlands is a quarterly people to the land. CFPA directly involves magazine published since 1936 by CFPA, the individuals and families, educators, community Life Membership $ 2500 private, non-profit organization dedicated to leaders and volunteers to enhance and defend conserving the land, trails, and natural resources Connecticut’s rich natural heritage. CFPA is a Corporate Membership of Connecticut. private, non-profit organization that relies on Club $ 50 members and supporters to carry out its mission. Members of CFPA receive the magazine in the Nonprofit $ 75 mail in January, April, July, and October. CFPA We envision Connecticut as a place of scenic Sustaining $ 100 also publishes a newsletter several times a year. beauty whose cities, suburbs, and villages are Landmark $ 250 For more information about CFPA, to join or linked by a network of parks, forests, and trails Stewardship $ 500 donate online, visit our newly expanded website, easily accessible for all people to challenge the Leadership $1000 www.ctwoodlands.org, or call 860-346-2372. body and refresh the spirit. We picture a state where clean water, timber, farm fresh foods and Give the gift of membership in CFPA . other products of the land make a significant Contact Jim Little at 860-346-2372 . contribution to our economic and cultural Advertising Rates for well-being. Connecticut Woodands Half page: $180 per issue / Connecticut Woodlands $600 yearly (four issues) Published quarterly by the Printed on recycled paper Connecticut Forest & Park Association, Quarter page: $90 per issue / $300 yearly. 16 Meriden Road, Eighth page: $60 per issue / $200 yearly Rockfall, CT 06481-2961. Design services available for a fee. Indexed in the Connecticut Periodical Index, ISSN 00106257. Telephone: 860-346-2372. Fax: 860-347-7463. E-mail address: [email protected] World Wide Web site: http://www.ctwoodlands.org 2 CONNECTICUT WOODLANDS Fall 2010 CONNECTICUT Woodlands The Magazine of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association Fall 2010 Volume 75 No. 3 FEATURES DEPARTMENTS CONTENTS 6 “THE PERFECT HABITAT 4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE. FOR A PAIR OF NATURALISTS.” Overcoming wounds and a fear of heights. Trail Wood, the Hampton sanctuary By David Platt. of writer Edwin Way Teale and his wife, Nellie. By Diane Friend Edwards. 5 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE. Of deal junkies and pluggers. By Eric Hammerling. 12 THE QUIET PARTNER: NELLIE DONOVAN TEALE. She read each of Edwin’s manuscripts 16 WalkCT. Walking in the city with the mind-set three times. By Christine Woodside. of Edwin Way Teale. By Leslie Lewis. 14 GOING SLOWLY AND SEEING MORE. 17 ESSENTIAL FACTS OF LIFE. A book excerpt in the spirit of Learning to see Tulip trees in a new way. Edwin Way Teale. By David K. Leff. By Lori Paradis Brant. 18 FORESTER’S NOTES. Help is available for forest landowners in the 2008 Farm Bill. By Thomas Worthley. 20 BOOK REVIEW: The Big Burn —Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America. A thrilling narrative on the early fight over conservation. Reviewed by Robert M. Ricard. 22 FROM THE LAND. Of Thanksgiving and turkeys. By Jean Crum Jones. 24 ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE. News from around the state. On The Cover Edwin Way Teale took this photograph of his house on the land he named Trail Wood. See the articles beginning on page 6. Edwin Way Teale Papers, Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries. Fall 2010 CONNECTICUT WOODLANDS 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE THE CONNECTICUT FOREST Overcoming wounds and a fear of heights &PARK ASSOCIATION,INC. OFFICERS PRESIDENT, DAVID PLATT, Higganum BY DAVID PLATT VICE-PRESIDENT, WILLIAM D. BRECK, Killingworth group of fellow CFPAers and I recently trekked up to VICE-PRESIDENT, ERIC LUKINGBEAL, Granby Baxter State Park in Maine to tackle 5,268-foot Mount VICE-PRESIDENT, STARR SAYRES, East Haddam Katahdin. We had summited Katahdin before, but TREASURER, GORDON L. ANDERSON, Glastonbury never via the famed Knife’s Edge Trail, with its ASSISTANT TREASURER, JAMES W. DOMBRAUSKAS, New Hartford A SECRETARY, ERIC HAMMERLING, West Hartford rumored balance-beam width and sheer drops on either side. FORESTER, DAN DONAHUE, Ashford Our crew of adults and eight kids (ages 11 through 15) were hardy and experienced, but several of us, including me, were DIRECTORS afraid of heights. In short, some of us were terrified at the prospect of traversing the Knife’s Edge. RICHARD BAUERFELD, Branford After the requisite moose sighting (two big cows with RUSSELL BRENNEMAN, Westport CFPA President calves at Sandy Pond)—sometimes it seems as if they are teth- ROBERT BUTTERWORTH, Deep River David Platt ered in place—we backpacked into Chimney Pond to set up STARLING W. CHILDS, Norfolk our base camp. Chimney Pond is as idyllic a spot as you will RUTH CUTLER, Ashford find, with its pristine waters, evergreens, and majestic Mount LAURENCE DIAMOND, Coventry CAROLINE DRISCOLL, New London Katahdin looming overhead. ASTRID T. HANZALEK, Suffield After a hearty pasta dinner (they always JEAN CRUM JONES, Shelton taste better on the trails), my tranquil evening DAVID K. LEFF, Collinsville took a surprise turn. My 14-year-old son was SCOTT LIVINGSTON, Bolton admiring his new Swiss Army knife in the LAUREN L. MCGREGOR, Hamden lean-to and got jostled from the other kids’ GEOFFREY MEISSNER, Plantsville horseplay—leading to a nasty gash on his JEFFREY O’DONNELL, Bristol wrist. (Why, I asked myself, thinking of the JAMES RITCHIE, Sandy Hook stern lecture I’d given Calvin about knife DEBORAH C. SPALDING, Guilford safety.) The other adults and I authoritatively DAVID SULLIVAN, Higganum guessed that he needed stitches. Immediately. RICHARD WHITEHOUSE, Glastonbury So off we went. Calvin and I hustled down the 3.5 miles, headlamps blazing in the inky HONORARYDIRECTORS dark, to where we had parked our car. I drove OUTDOOR PLACES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO US HARROL W. BAKER, JR., Bolton 30 miles to the nearest hospital in Millinocket. BECAUSE SOMEONE CARED ENOUGH. RICHARD F. BLAKE, Milford After stitches and a tetanus shot near mid- GO FIND A MOUNT KATAHDIN EXPERIENCE ANN M. CUDDY, Lakeville night, we slept in the car. At first light, we FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY. SAMUEL G. DODD, North Andover, MA were fast-hiking back to join our impatient JOHN E. HIBBARD, Hebron companions. PHILIP H. JONES, JR., Shelton The Knife’s Edge was true to its name. We climbed one mile straight up the EDWARD A. RICHARDSON, Glastonbury Dudley Trail to Pamola Peak and gazed silently at our quarry, the pointed ledge L.P. SPERRY, JR., Middlebury stretching ahead. Then we began the scramble. Under rainy skies and buffeted by SALLY L. TAYLOR, Mystic a fierce crosswind, we did it. First, we carefully made our way down and up the near HENRY H. TOWNSHEND, New Haven vertical “chimney” notch, and then we scrambled over a mile of sharp granite ridge with precipitous drops right and left. Hand over hand, foot by foot, we worked our STAFF way to the summit of Katahdin. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ERIC HAMMERLING, West Hartford Our collective sense of accomplishment (and relief) at having conquered the COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, JENNIFER BENNER, Roxbury Knife’s Edge was real, very real. We were tired but exhilarated. I was particularly EDUCATION DIRECTOR, LORI PARADIS BRANT, Rockfall proud of the way Calvin handled himself on that ridge, fighting through his fear of TRAIL STEWARDSHIP DIRECTOR, CLARE CAIN, Niantic heights and that worrisome wrist injury. FOREST & PROGRAM DIRECTOR, GOODWIN FOREST CENTER, The wonderful Baxter State Park exists because Percival Baxter cared enough to STEVE BRODERICK, Eastford preserve it. That’s true for most beautiful outdoor places: They are accessible to us FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT, LINDA CUNNINGHAM, Portland because someone cared enough. My personal experience has been that in enjoying MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR, MARTY GOSSELIN, Durham DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, JAMES W. LITTLE, Hebron these resources, my kids and I find fun and personal growth. Go find a Mount WALKCT DIRECTOR, LESLIE LEWIS, Lyme Katahdin experience for yourself and your family. You will not regret it. OFFICE MANAGER, TERESA PETERS, Durham David Platt lives in Higganum with his family and often goes out on the trails both near and far. EDITOR, CHRISTINE WOODSIDE GRAPHIC DESIGNER, KAREN WARD 4 CONNECTICUT WOODLANDS Fall 2010 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Of deal junkies and pluggers BY ERIC HAMMERLING 1929. Similarly, without much fanfare, CFPA has supported countless organizations in acquiring many thousands of n 1956, on the prophetic pages of his book Autumn acres over the past century, and today CFPA owns nine Across America Edwin Way Teale wrote, “Time and properties and holds 28 land and trail conservation ease- space—time to be alone, space to move about—these ments, totaling a direct interest in more than 2,100 acres of may well become the great scarcities of tomorrow.” land. In the absence of paid staff dedicated to monitoring IToday, at Connecticut Forest & Park Association, we and managing these properties, we rely on outstanding vol- share Teale’s concern about the future, but we also look unteers such as Dan Donahue, the chairman of our Land back nostalgically at the abundant natural resources still Conservation Committee, to help ensure that we meet our available during Teale’s era.