PICAYUNE —
Have you ever marveled at the drawings of nature subjects created by a famous artist, or perhaps even a friend of yours who enjoys sketching outdoors? Whether you are the type to undertake a collection of nature journals that span your lifetime, or a single volume, you may be leaving a legacy for your family to enjoy in the future, as they read about the time you spent recording your observations of nature.
What fun it can be to engage a youngster in starting a record of the discoveries you made on a field exploration outdoors. They can make notes about when certain flowers emerge, the appearance and habits of birds that visit the feeder throughout the year, record weather patterns, or sketch the pattern of veins on a leaf. Tuck away a flower or two between the pages, and you’re well on your way to creating a lasting treasure.
Our first director, Ed Blake, filled numerous notebooks with his sketches and observations of the Crosby Arboretum during its early planning, and for many years afterward. His thoughts and drawings are valuable to us today, allowing a window on the process of the Arboretum’s development.
A book that was very popular in the late 1970’s was a reproduction of a 1906 sketchbook, “The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.” The author, Edith Holden, also created a journal that was also published around this time as “The Nature Notes of an Edwardian Lady.” Edith was an art teacher and an illustrator of children’s books who encouraged her students to record their observations of plant and animal life in the English countryside. These books are not just nature sketches, but contain poetry and notes of the observer.
When she created her notebooks, Edith had no idea of the popularity they would enjoy many years later. I can’t recommend them more highly as a gift if you have a nature-lover in your family, or need an addition to your nature library.
Growing up in East Tennessee, one of my favorite books was “A Naturalist’s Notebook: Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” authored by Robert G. Johnsson and illustrated by John D. Dawson (1984). If you’re visited the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg and wandered through their exhibits, then you have strolled among these pages which come alive in their gallery. Using sketches and text of the notebook’s pages as a background, sculptures of the diverse plant and animal life found in the Smokies are displayed alongside the notebook pages. The collection is outstanding. On a visit there last year, I believe I took about a hundred photos of their displays. If you know someone who loves visiting the Smokies, this is another great gift book and a great way to spend a few hours enjoying nature from a comfortable chair on a cold winter’s day.
Consider world-renown Australian botanical artist, Margaret Stones, who produced a phenomenal collection of botanical drawings of Louisiana’s flora as well as extensive work in England and Australia. Commissioned by LSU, her Native Flora of Louisiana project spanned from 1976 to 1991 and resulted in the production of over two hundred exquisite botanical drawings. Stones created her Louisiana drawings from live specimens, capturing the essence of the plants. We recently discovered some photographs of Margaret Stones in our archives, walking the grounds on a tour with Ed Blake.
Native plants that Stones may have discussed with Ed that day could have included species such as bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla), golden club (Orontium aquaticum), beautyberry (Callicarpa longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), and fewflower milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata), all found in the Arboretum’s exhibits. Her work is held in the LSU Libraries Special Collections Hill Memorial Library, but you can appreciate images on the Internet right now of her beautiful botanical drawings, or obtain a copy of her “Flora of Louisiana”, a collection of her watercolors. You will recognize many of these plants, as they are common to Mississippi as well.
Not so long ago, people would have curled up in the winter with a good garden book, for example, “A Southern Garden” (1942) by Elizabeth Lawrence, a garden writer who lived in North Carolina and the first woman to receive a landscape architecture degree from N.C. State. If you have not heard of this writer, visit www.winghavengardens.com and prepare to be charmed. Another delightful garden writer was Katherine S. White, who wrote for The New Yorker. Her “Upward and Onward in the Garden,” a 1979 collection of her work, is a hands-down classic.
Why not consider starting a nature journal, or read more this winter about those who did? Those of you who have taken the nature sketching class offered at the Arboretum by our talented Arboretum staff member Robin Veerkamp, or seen examples of her field journals know firsthand how rewarding and pleasurable the pastime of sketching from nature can be.
Speaking of the “old days”, come out to the Crosby Arboretum this Saturday, November 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for our tenth annual Piney Woods Heritage Festival! See demonstrations and traditional activities from bygone times, such as quilting, blacksmithing, basket-making, woodcarving, spinning, and pressing sugar cane. On Friday we are open for preregistered school groups, at $2 per child (free to teachers, chaperones, and bus drivers). On Saturday, admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children.
Visit the Arboretum for more information on native plants, or call the Arboretum office at 601-799-2311. See our program schedule on our website at www.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu. Social media links can be found on our homepage. We are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and located in Picayune, off I-59 Exit 4, at 370 Ridge Road (south of Walmart and adjacent to I-59).
Lifestyles
Related Photos
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Students record their observations while on a field trip at the Crosby Arboretum. Photo by Pat Drackett
Arboretum paths
The joy of recording nature
- Lifestyles
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Arboretum Paths
At the recent Master Naturalist training held at the Crosby Arboretum, Master Gardener Susan Swope discussed how using more natives in our landscapes can save us both time and money. She went on to describe some methods well-suited to lazy gardeners. One was to create planting beds in lawn areas. First, mow the grass as short as possible, then add layers of newspaper or cardboard, add a thick organic layer such as leaves, and there you go— less grass to mow.
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CBAC Did you know? program highlights dangers to senior citizens
Senior citizens face many dangers, said the speakers at the Did You Know? seminar at the Senior Center, and they sought to give the seniors information to help them navigate the risks. The Community Business Advisory Committee (CBAC) hosted the seminar at the Senior Center on Friday, May 17.
- 2013 Partners for Pearl River County By Jodi Marze The 10th class of Partners for Pearl River County celebrated its graduation at First Baptist Church on Friday, May 10, in the Fellowship Hall. The graduating class included: Jason Bounds, Nacole Dillon, Christy Goss, John Huck, Jeff McClain, Teenia Perry, Paul Reese, Brooke Rester, Eric Stafne, Richelle Stafne, Kristin Thibodeaux, Pat Tidmore, and Jim Walker. The staff is comprised of: Jo Woods, Tricia Knight, Shirley Wiltshire, Marilyn Bailey, Rod Lincoln and Scott Langlois (Program Chairman).
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Tami Harris takes state
Local business owner and community volunteer Tami Harris has won the coveted title of 2012 Greater Federation of Women’s Clubs-Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs (MFWC) Club Woman of the Year for the state of Mississippi. A member of the Civic Woman’s Club of Picayune, Harris is one of only three club members, along with Darlene Adams and Leslie Lincoln, to take the state title.
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Arboretum Paths
Last week, students participating in the 2013 Mississippi Master Naturalist Program visited the Crosby Arboretum for an all-day training. The session was part of 40 hours of field and classroom instruction they will receive, educating them about natural resource management and environmental stewardship, and is a part of their preparation to become Certified Mississippi Master Naturalists.
- Chamber Ribbon Cutting Children's International Medical Group held a grand opening and Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at their first Mississippi location, located in Picayune.
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Historic City Hall Dedication Friday
Friday, May 3 at 10 a.m. the New City Hall will be dedicated on Goodyear Boulevard. This event will coincide with the 75th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Old Historic City Hall building.
- PRC Community Band presents: An American Legacy The Pearl River County Community Band, under the direction of Johnny Baker, will present “An American Legacy: An afternoon of American music for concert bands,” on Sunday, May 5, at 2 p.m. at the Picayune Memorial High School Auditorium.
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Arboretum Paths
On their recent tour, fifth grade students from Lamar Christian School in Purvis encountered a seemingly endless variety of wildlife, ranging from crawfish to inchworms, to writhing masses of spiny, newly-emerged caterpillars. There is no such thing as a “typical” walk around the Arboretum’s Pond Journey and Pitcher Plant Bog. Every venture reveals something new to every group of visitors.
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Beebe returns to Main Street
“I was excited when the Picayune Main Street, Inc. Board of Directors asked me to return as manager to the local Main Street program. Also, extremely grateful to Picayune City Manager Jim Luke, Mayor Ed Pinero and city council for their blessings and approval to relocate our office,” says Beebe. “One of my favorite sayings is ‘There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.’ I have to say, I had a blast working on committees, projects and events with the most dedicated staff and group of volunteers in Pearl River County from March 2005 to May 2010. I look forward to getting new committees in place and working with ‘seasoned’ volunteers as well as new volunteers who share the same passion and desire to keep Picayune moving forward.”
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