Site Discussions

Wow, what a well-written and informative article. And that’s coming from a professional writer. Thanks!

I am so pleased to read this! Count me in as someone who was influenced by Burgess and went on to obtain an M.S. in Environmental Education.  I grew up in Hampden and recall the Burgess property and Audubon Sanctuary as thriving and then declining. I never understood why MA Audubon didn’t embrace and actively promote the Burgess aspect of that property. I love that there are others out there who have the same fond memories that I do of those stories. Thank you Jack Beaudoin and Northern Woodlands.

I spotted a gray / red Fox in a mesquite tree taking a snooze in the Catalina foothills area near Sabino Canyon. How sweet!

I loved the article.

Hi. I was recently in Concord, MA and while walking along a street near the river I saw some wild grapes growing. I am totally new to the vegetation there, so I am wondering if they were the original Concord grape?  The fruit did not have much flesh and had a fantastic variety of color in very luminous blues and purples. Thank you.

This is fabulous. I will use this as a resource with my third through fifth graders when we study sea run fish this spring. I teach in a district near the Augusta and the kids are always amazed to learn the history of the Kennebec and sea run fish restoration.

In the upper Midwest (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), we take our bird hunting very seriously.  Here, it is always “Grouse” . . . because that’s what they actually are, and a “Partridge” is a completely different bird. My friends in the Northeast always claim “tradition” in their defense of the incorrect “Partridge” usage, but if you look at all the old sporting literature (such as that published by the Derrydale Press), they were always called “Grouse”. Spiller, Foster, and Knight all used “Grouse”.

Excellent profile - very interesting. I’m white, raised in NE, and have done a lot of hiking. I rarely see POC & it’s a shame for all the reasons the writer gives. Kudoes to him for addressing this problem with Live Now as part of the college’s diversity program.

Truly uplifting, a beautiful story of love of nature, family, leadership and community.

Thanks for this amazing article!
This was a really fun and amazing read.

Christopher - no signs of cellar holes, and no records of dwellings up near those old Maples when I looked over old maps, but my research has been limited. It is possible there was some dwelling there at some point.

One of the trees stands near the top of a hill in somewhat “bony” soils, the other is in a bit of a hollow a couple hundred yards away. All of this area was cleared for sheep pasture, but that was probably abandoned more than 100 years ago. Somehow, those maples escaped the clearing and the sheep browsing. I did not have anything with me to measure, but the first one I stumbled across was 40+ inches DBH (Diameter at Breast Height).

Hello,

My mother, Jeannette Cameron (or Jeannette C. Bellefleur), from Lac-Megantic (Quebec/Canada) helped loggers in Quebec obtain visas or work permits to work for the Brown Co. between the years 1965 and 1970. I even remember that our little family went to visit Mr. Brown at that time, at his residence in Berlin N.H. Do you have any documents referring to my mother? Thank you.

Enjoyed your article.  Without seeing them, I can’t be sure, but the two big old hard maples (near the end or your story )  sound like “yard maples” so we would look for remnants of a road and or a cellar hole.  Just something to think about.

My grandmother wrote a book named A tower in the Wilderness about her life. My mother grew up outside of St. Camille, Canada along the St. John river where my grandfather worked a tower.

This is another great article in a great series. I respect the strong community spirit the folks up there in Monkton have. John’s description of the two venerable maples he discovered hit home, as it reminds of two massive oaks (one red, one white) tucked away in a corner of our small family woodlot. They are clearly of an earlier generation than the rest and their presence always makes me pause.

Fascinating. Very informative and educational.
Do you know if other eel species also migrate?  Lampreys?
Thank you very much.
David.

I discovered the Burgess books when my daughter was 5 or so. I can’t tell you how much both of us enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing this info; I hope it inspires others to read the books.

Peter,
it is so wonderful to hear what you have been doing all these years. You always loved the land, bmw’s and adventures. I certainly know nothing about logging but it sounds like a great read and an inspired book.
Be well,
An old friend

This article makes me so happy—-to know Ski Hearth Farm thrives again! The first memories of my life were on the farm during WWll while my mother was there helping Sel and Paulie work on the farm. She loved plowing the fields and fixing the tractors. I was often left in the care of my 3 older sibs, and one day, probably due to my fear of the chickens, I “ran” away from the farmyard, crawling down River Road. A passing pickup truck picked me up and took me to a couple of farms before dropping me off at the right one, asking “Is anyone here missing a baby?” When my mother was in her 70’s, she returned to the farm to work the fields again with Sel, and in the winter to help him design ski trails (in other states). She was living with Sel and Paulie when he died.
I love the vision Mr. Mangold has for this incredible place! Perhaps I’ll come stay and ski some of the trails!

Very cool article, I found it when I was searching, “can you be inside of a rainbow”... the answer online was, “no”.  however, my experience this past Friday tells me otherwise.

I left work on the southwest side of the city, and there was a large rainbow far off in the north east that extended to just south of east. The sun was still high but setting (early fall, 5pm). I drove due east watching the rainbow brighten. What surprised me was, the sun went mostly behind some clouds, but the rainbow was still present. It dimmed, so there had to have been high angle light where the rain was. I continued the drive north, and then again east, picture a backwards Z (that was my path) roughly 18 miles (25 minutes) rainbow ever present. When I started going east into the final stretch, the rainbow turned into a LARGE double rainbow until I could see that I was somehow catching and almost starting to surpass the base of the left of the rainbow. What happened next, I’ll never forget. I could see the base, but it looked as if it was getting wider and wider, and I could simultaneously still see the rainbow, until I was in it. It looked like it was everywhere for 10 seconds until I broke through the drizzle, and the whole thing disappeared.

I was able to find one or two videos on YouTube where something similar happened, but it looked to be smaller, although they’re describing the same thing.