ENTS
I would like to make an official announcement. We are planning a winter ENTS
gathering here in western Massachusetts to be held on January 23rd. There will
be a hike in the morning, a concert in the afternoon, and presentations in the
evening. My wife Monica is planning the concert - actually music and poetry to
be held at the Charlemont Inn in Charlemont, MA. We'll do a winter hike in
Mohawk from 11am - 2pm (bring lunch or snacks). The concert and poetry readings
will be from 3:00-4:00 PM. Afterwards we'll have dinner and then hear
presentations from 7:00-8:30 PM. Ed, if you can make it, maybe a presentation
on the accomplishments of ENTS similar to that superb presentation you gave at
the Inn several years ago?
The morning hike will be into Mohawk Trail State Forest to pay our respects to
some of the great pines accessible in the Trees of Peace Grove. If conditions
permit, we will visit the Cherokee-Choctaw grove, the Trees of Peace, the upper
meadow, the Algonquin Pines, the lower meadow, and return by the ENTS grove
where we will renew a few tree dedications. The ENTS grove is reserved just for
Ents, but it has been suffering from benign neglect. There are around 19 or 20
white pines that reach 150 feet in the grove - all just bursting to be named
for a worthy Ent. We presently have about half of the 150s named. However, by
edict of Treebeard, you must be an active Ent (or deceased) to have a tree in
the Ents grove named for you. Oh yes, bring snow shoes if you have them. If you
don't hopefully we can outfit you with a pair. Total distance of the hike is
between 3 and 4 miles. Elevation gain totals to only 400 feet - nothing
challenging.
Monica is currently lining up musicians, poets and writers for the 3:00-4:00 PM
event. So far, musicians include:
Monica Jakuc Leverett (retired Smith College professor of music and active
concert pianist)
Charlotte Dewey (owner of Inn, graduate of Hartt School of Music - an extremely
versatile soprano)
Jennifer Dudley (mezzo-soprano singer extraordinaire and fast becoming the
musical vocalist of ENTS)
Tanya Blaich (instructor in collaborative piano and art song at New England
Conservatory, concert pianist and
colleague of Monica's)
Peter W. Shea (tenor and stellar past participant in ENTS concerts)
Jim (song writer and musical partner of Charlotte. Jim will compose a song
especially for ENTS.)
There will be several excellent poets and writers from the area including
Patricia Lewis (tentative), Susan Middleton, Norma Roche, and the team of Robin
Barber and Carol Edelstein (tentative). All works will be about nature. Check
out Patricia Lewis's website at www.writingretreats.org. The above are among
western Massachusetts's finest.
Anyone who plans to stay at the very historic Charlemont Inn should make
reservations early - very early. January is in the middle of the ski season.
Berkshire East Ski Resort is just across the Deerfield river and clearly
visible through the windows of the Inn. The Inn stays pretty full from
mid-December through February. Our Ent comrade Anthony Kelly once stayed at the
Inn for a week and by his account thoroughly enjoyed it. Check out the Inn at
www.charlemontinn.com. If you are unfamiliar with its history, I think you'll
be impressed.
Monica and I have floor space available at our house to put up 3 or 4 of you
who would come from a distance if you wish to stay with us. Bring a sleeping
blanket. We can find other accommodations with friends for any who can't be
fitted into our space. For those who can afford it, the Inn is ideal, but might
not work for Ents on tight budgets.
Bob
--
Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org
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