Celebrating Earth Day 2010

What five-year-old boy wouldn’t jump at the chance to man the controls of an excavator – a REAL excavator, not just a toy? Today, on Earth Day, Aidan was the lucky young man to do exactly that.

Aidan and his dad were watching Sprigs and Twigs, Inc., the official landscape company of Mystic Seaport, plant two Black Gum trees on the Museum’s Village Green. Co-owner Bill Lillie said it isn’t only youngsters who are fascinated by the digging machine. He recalled a woman in her mid-80s, a customer for whom he was working.  She seemed intrigued with the excavator, so much to her delight, Bill invited her to give the machine a try herself, and she did – for almost 30 minutes!

Watching Sprigs and Twigs co-owner Linda Lillie and her staff ready the trees for planting was an education in itself. Linda explained that it’s a critical time for a tree when it is planted. If not properly prepared, it will not thrive; you can’t just plop the earth ball into the ground and cover it with dirt.

One of the new trees that now shades our Village Green.

The roots need to be trimmed to stimulate growth and to prevent them from encircling the trunk and choking it. And you know that flare in a tree trunk’s base – that has to be uncovered and show above ground for a tree’s healthy and successful future. Courtney, who manages Sprigs and Twigs’ landscape division, says the Black Gum trees can grow anywhere from six to 12 inches yearly.

Thank you, Sprigs & Twigs!

Mystic Seaport’s Supervisor of Grounds Kara Lally says wildlife, especially birds, find Black Gum trees irresistible; they love the blossoms and nutty fruits they produce.

So, Earth Day 2010 has been a great day at Mystic Seaport. Two new trees now grace the Village Green and will eventually offer more shade from summer’s sun and the birds will be happy to discover new feasting grounds. The sun was out today and the temperature was perfect; it was a very good Earth Day at Mystic Seaport…and thank you, Sprigs and Twigs.

Blog written by Trudi Busey

Trash Talk

I recently read about banking heir, David de Rothschild, sailing across the Pacific Ocean on a catamaran made from 12,000 discarded plastic bottles! His boat is rather appropriately named Plastiki, and Mr. de Rothschild is on a mission to showcase the need to recycle.

 He hopes to make people aware that trash, carelessly and thoughtlessly tossed into the ocean, can often end up as lethal litter to sea animals and sea birds. In 1999, an oceanographer identified a mass of plastic at least 1,000 miles across swirling about in the Pacific Ocean. Yuck! Unfortunately, on a smaller scale, lakes and rivers probably suffer the same man-made abuses.

 Of course, wooden boats take center stage at Mystic Seaport, but as the Museum of America and the Sea, our mission really isn’t so different from Mr. de Rothschild’s. It all boils down to respect for the sea and being good custodians of it. To know it is to love it, is a familiar phrase, and one usually takes care of something one loves, right?

 

Through classes, lectures, exhibits and hands-on activities, the Museum’s goal is to educate visitors about our nation’s nautical history and heritage. Once that personal connection to the sea takes hold, Mr. de Rothschild’s sailboat, Plastica, doesn’t seem so far out after all. We all need to do our part in taking better care of our oceans, lakes and rivers. Consider this; next time you think you’ve seen a jellyfish floating by, according to de Rothschild, it could just be a plastic bag. That grosses me out more than a jellyfish!

Blog written by Trudi Busey

Poetry in Motion at Mystic Seaport

From an early age, I knew writing poetry was not to be my strong suit. A grade school assignment kept me and a few others from going outside for recess because we were slow in finishing our poems. Finally, in frustration, my poem’s last line was “Gee, I’m glad I’m done with thee.”  I don’t think the teacher appreciated my humor!

I read that April is National Poetry Month, so I was surfing the net to find a suitable poem to tie in with Mystic Seaport’s strong connection to the sea and ongoing and upcoming events on the Museum’s calendar. I liked this poem by John Masefield, Great Britain’s Poet Laureate from 1930-1967.

“I Must Go Down to the Sea”

 I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
            And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
            And a grey mist on the sea’s face and a grey dawn breaking.

 I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
            Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
            And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
            To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
            And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

You, too, must ‘come down to the sea’ to appreciate the kind of emotions Poet Masefield is expressing. Explore the Charles W. Morgan whaleship and imagine wind in her sails as the captain at the wheel guides her out to sea once more in 2013, a sweet dream come true. When it happens, you  will feel a personal connection to that amazing feat.

Visit the Treworgy Planetarium and learn exactly how the stars helped mariners navigate in darkness. Rent a sailboat this summer and ride with the tide down the Mystic river. Listen to a strolling chantey singer telling a nautical yarn through music. Watch the whaleboat demonstration to get a sense of that rugged life at sea. And coming up May 22-23, Tug Blast kicks off Mystic Seaport’s new tugboat exhibit.

So much to do; so much to see; all geared to connect you to the sea. One visit to Mystic Seaport is never enough to do it all and see it all. I’ll bet you, too, will be saying, “I must go down to the seas again”…and you might just feel inspired to write a poem yourself.

Blog written by Trudi Busey

Celebrating Earth Day

All you folks in Connecticut and neighboring states affected by the recent deluge of rain certainly aren’t keen on even hearing that word…r-a-i-n! But when April behaves itself normally, gentle rain showers are important. Remember, “April showers bring May flowers,” as the rhyme goes. True as that may be, Mystic Seaport is going one step further. April brings new trees to the Museum’s village green. Well actually, Sprigs & Twigs, Inc., the official landscape company of Mystic Seaport, is bringing the trees. They will be planting them Thursday, April 22, Earth Day 2010.  Sprigs & Twigs owners, Linda and Bill Lillie, will also teach proper tree planting techniques. Museum members and guests may even have the hands-on opportunity to help plant the trees. 

Thank you, Sprigs & Twigs, for helping make our Village Green beautiful!

This project, which occurs on the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day, will be part of a
nation-wide volunteer effort, the PLANET National Day of Service.

Sounds like a great way to celebrate Earth Day’s anniversary, and, Mystic Seaport will be in the forefront when Arbor Day 2010 arrives on April 30.

For more information on upcoming events at Mystic Seaport, visit www.mysticseaport.org.

Blog written by Trudi Busey.