The
Polypodium
News from the Council of Park Friends
Volume XXX, Number 1
Winter 2010
WINT ALDRICH to speak on History of NYS Parks We have written in recent editions of the Polypodium about changes in CPF. Increased community outreach, partnering with other organizations and finding new sources of funding are among them. Here we announce another change, this one in the venerable Annual Meeting. The wisdom of holding the Annual Meeting in January often comes up. It’s a cold time of year, driving conditions are unpredictable and many people just want to stay home. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the meeting in spring when more people might attend? Opposing this is the consideration that the Annual Meeting in winter gives CPF presence throughout the year. The Annual Meeting is composed of a speaker presentation and a business session. The Board decided at the November meeting to split these parts this year. A speaker would be scheduled for winter and the business meeting held in the spring, perhaps as part of an outdoor event. Pursuing this, Board member Ralph Manna arranged to have Wint Aldrich, NYS Parks Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation, speak on the history of New York State Parks. We were delighted. No one knows the history of NYS Parks like Wint Aldrich. Wint Aldrich
In the midst of these goings on, Tom Hughes, Natural Resource Steward with NYS Parks, came to us with a proposal. For the past two years, Tom has led a group of mainly ESF students on various projects in local State Parks. He was planning to recognize them and formalize the arrangement with a dinner. Noting the considerable overlap between the work of CPF the ESF group, Tom suggested that we combine forces by having Wint Aldrich speak as keynoter at the dinner. ( cont. on p. 2) ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1
Highlighting community service in NYS Parks seemed a worthy idea. Consequently, the Board agreed to have Wint Aldrich speak at the dinner under the aegis of CPF (see the box below and the Program for details). Come experience the camaraderie of seeing old friends, learning what a new generation of NYS Parks volunteers is doing and hearing the history of Parks from an expert. Hope to see as many CPF members as possible. Questions? Call Dan Smothergill at the number below.
Council of Park Friends Board of Stewards Daniel Smothergill, President Diane Wheelock, Vice-President Martha Loew, Secretary Diane Kuehn, Treasurer Allan Drew Gordon Heisler Greg Titus
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Trustees
Where: Nifkin Lounge, Marshall Hall, SUNY-ESF campus !! ! ! ! ! ! ! Free parking (RSVP for details)
Cheryl Lendrum Donald Leopold Dudley Raynal D. Andrew Saunders Larry Van Druff John Weeks
Newsletter Nancy Smothergill
Nature Center Clark Reservation State Park Jamesville, NY (315) 492-0067
What: Dinner, Talk by Wint Aldrich, Information Displays and Student Recognition.! Free for CPF members.!Must RSVP Dan Smothergill by February 10 (dsmothe1@twcny.rr.com!or 474-4508) ! When: Thursday, February 25th, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Program 5:30 pm – Social Light refreshments and appetizers, table top displays, slide show 5:50 pm – Introductions & Dinner Tom Hughes (Natural Resource Steward Biologist) President Cornelius Murphy (SUNY-ESF) Participating organizations Catered buffet style dinner 6:30 pm – Speakers Tom Hughes NRS Initiative, Volunteer F.O.R.C.E.S., review of 2008-09 Wint Aldrich Parks Deputy Commissioner for Historic Preservation (introduced by CPF President Dan Smothergill) History of NYS Parks 7:15 pm – Special awards and concluding remarks
Nature Center Jan. 24, 2010
Web Site You might have noticed that the CPF website has been untended for several months now. Our former webmaster was no longer able to look after it. We are in the process of making arrangements with someone to overhaul the site and keep it fresh. 2
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CROSS CUT SAWING
Pot Luck Picnic Great Show Put On By The ESF Woodsmen A beautiful fall day at Clark Reservation set the stage for the CPF Pot Luck Picnic September 26. Salads and desserts brought by participants were enjoyed along with hot dogs and hamburgers perfectly turned out by Gordon Heisler and Diane Kuehn at the grill. The food and drink seemed almost too bountiful, then hungry ESF Woodsmen descended on it and put fears to rest. The Woodsmen were the feature attraction of the day. Numbering about 20, they rolled
in shortly before 1 PM and set up their equipment. Visitors who had come to the Park for other reasons drifted over to see what was going on. By the time the demonstration began a crowd of about 50 was on hand. Lonni Petersen of the Woodsmen was masterful at explaining each event of the demonstration. Among them were the Chain Saw Disk Stack, Jack & Jill Bow Saw, Pulp Toss and Horizontal Chop. Descriptions of these and other woodsmen events can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Woodsman
JACK & JILL BOW SAW
CHAINSAW DISK STACK
VERTICAL CHOP
LOG ROLLING WITH PEAVEYS
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Geoffrey Palin and His Rocks ! Arriving in the US about 1926 as a 15-year old, Geoff Palin was the former Jamesville Quarry superintendent. Taking geology courses at Syracuse University, he developed an interest in rocks and fossils. His job plus his membership in the Quarry Superintendent’s Society took him to various locations throughout the United States where he could determine if various processes work as well as find interesting rock specimens. Trips to Canada where other types of rocks were found with John Davis were just for fun. ! A"CPF member since its inception in 1979, Geoff guided"fossil and rock"hikes at Clark"for CPF's Sunday "Hikes with the Experts" programs. He"introduced our members to the fascinating history of the park's rock layers which are"millions of years old. Geoff also"donated park-related fossils and rocks for our"Nature Center. ! When he died in 1992, Geoff’s extensive collection of rocks wound up in our hands and had been stored ever since in various buildings at Clark Reservation. Several months ago, we were told that this arrangement would no longer be possible. We suddenly were faced with finding a new home for thousands of rocks, each neatly wrapped in paper with a slip of identifying information. A primary consideration was to keep the collection whole, as Geoff probably would have wished.
Gypsum with radiating bladed crystals
Fortunately, we were able to accomplish this. Contact was made with Michael Hawkins who is Geology Collections Manager at the New York State Museum in Albany. He quickly accepted the collection on behalf of the State Museum where some of it will be put on display and the rest stored away.
Annual membership in the Council of Park Friends supports a professional staff of naturalists who provide educational offerings for all ages and levels of interest, and entitles members to The Polypodium, a periodic newsletter of upcoming events, nature news and members-only activities. Send your dues to: C.P.F., PO Box 153, Jamesville, NY 13078 Attn: membership Member Category
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