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Beatrix Potter and Gene Stratton-Porter

7/30/2016

 
By Rowena Godfrey

Beatrix Potter, world-famous author-illustrator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and twenty-two other little books, was born in 1866, just three years after Gene Stratton-Porter. I believe that her powers of observation and her attitude to nature and conservation were similar to those of Gene.

Both Beatrix and Gene loved the countryside and hated living in towns. From her childhood onwards Beatrix spent long summer holidays with her family in Perthshire, Scotland, or in the Lake District in the north-west of England. During these times she had more freedom than was possible in London, and she roamed the fields and woods, closely looking at everything around her. A watercolor from the drawing book she made when she was eight shows at least twelve caterpillars, and records the subtle differences in their shapes and sizes. She stored all sorts of nature specimens (beetles, moths, birds’ eggs and more) in a collector’s cabinet, and kept a huge variety of animals, big and small, as pets. Before Peter Rabbit was published, she studied fungi in great detail for several years, and she took up photography. She continued to produce watercolor sketches of the countryside into her late middle age.

When Gene’s father formally presented her with all the birds that made their homes on his farm as her own personal property, she selected sixty-four nests, watched what the parent birds were choosing to feed their young, and then found insects for the wrens, grubs and worms for the red-winged blackbirds, caterpillars for the tanagers, and bugs and berries for the robins, thus becoming a third parent for the babies. Her later collection of moths, her novel The Girl of the Limberlost and her non-fiction work Moths of the Limberlost all show that she also was fascinated by these beautiful ephemeral creatures. Her photographs of birds, moths and her Limberlost surroundings were outstanding for that era, and also indicate just how observant and patient she was.

In the 1890s, through the influence of Canon Hawdwicke Rawnsley (one of the founding members of the National Trust), Beatrix became aware that the Lake District could be destroyed by inappropriate development, and her interest in conservation began. When she made money from the sale of her books in the early 1900s, she bought up farms and estates as soon as they became available. When she died in 1943 she bequeathed fifteen farms and over 4,000 acres of land to the National Trust, with precise provisos for how they were to be preserved for all time.

It was when the Limberlost was being cleared around 1900 that Gene realised that unless wetlands and forests are preserved, the land will suffer. In Music of the Wild (published in 1910), she wrote: “It was Thoreau who, in writing of the destruction of the forests, exclaimed ‘Thank Heaven, they can not cut down the clouds!’ Aye, but they can! ... Pity of pities it is, but man can change and is changing the forces of nature. I never told a sadder truth, but it is truth that man can ‘cut down the clouds’.” In 1913 when she had made money from the sale of her novels and non-fiction works, she bought land beside Sylvan Lake. At Wildflower Woods she created a new type of garden, planting thousands of wild flower specimens in order to preserve them. Later, at her new home in California, she used the fame which her books had brought her and her work with the film industry to voice her belief in the importance of conservation.

Beatrix and Gene loved and respected nature. They observed creatures and plants closely – Beatrix principally drew and painted them; Gene mainly photographed them. They both used their observations and knowledge to underpin their stories for children and novels and wild life books respectively with hard facts from nature. They were both early conservationists, and they did and said what they could to protect and preserve the land in the way that suits it best – for future generations to enjoy.

Rowena Godfrey is a member of The Beatrix Potter Society. For further information about Beatrix, please go to beatrixpottersociety.org.uk

Song of the Limberlost

7/22/2016

 
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By Gene Stratton-Porter

I have read of the streams that flow over India’s golden sands, down Italy’s mountains, through England’s meadows; but none of them can sing sweeter songs or have more interest to the inch than the Limberlost.

It is born in the heart of swampy wood and thicket, flows over a bed of muck or gravel, the banks are grass and flower-lined, its waters cooled and shaded by sycamore maple, and willow. June drapes it in misty white, and November spreads a blanket of scarlet and gold. In the water fish, turtle, crab, muskrat, and water puppy disport themselves. Along the shores the sandpiper, plover, coot, bittern, heron, and crane take their pleasure and seek their food. Above the hawk and vulture wheel, soar, and sail in high heaven, and the kingfisher dashes in merry rattling flight between the trees, his reflection trailing after him across sunlit pools.

The Limberlost is a wonderful musician, singing the song of running water throughout its course. Singing that low, somber, sweet song that you must get very close to earth to hear, because the creek has such mighty responsibility it hesitates to sing loudly lest it appear to boast.

All the trees rustle and whisper, shaking their branches to shower it with a baptism of gold in pollen time. The rushes and blue flags murmur together, and the creek and every sound belonging to it all combine in the song of the Limberlost.

Note: Excerpts from “Music of the Wild” in the section Songs of the Fields.
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Great Blue Heron

7/18/2016

 
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By Alexandra Forsythe

The Great Blue Heron is the largest heron in North America. It has been documented eating a wide variety of prey from fish and frogs to gophers and birds. This varied diet allows the Great Blue to winter further north than most herons, even in locations where the water freezes completely. They breed in colonies which can have 75 nests or more. The Nanjemoy Creek colony in Maryland boasts over 1,100 nests! Colonies of almost 400 nests have been reported in Indiana.

Gene Stratton-Porter was rather fond of herons. They appear frequently in her writings. In “Homing with the Birds” she admired the heron’s mating dance: "I have seen a few measures of the stately dance a blue heron executes for the charming of his beloved." In “Laddie”, when describing her idea of the idyllic location, she included the solemn herons: "Crossing our meadow there was a stream that had grassy banks, big trees, willows, bushes and vines for shade, a solid pebbly bed; it was all turns and bends so that the water hurried until it bubbled and sang as it went; in it lived tiny fish colored brightly as flowers, beside it ran killdeer, plover, and solemn blue herons almost as tall as I was came from the river to fish; for a place to play on an August afternoon, it couldn’t be beaten".

It is difficult not to love and respect the Great Blue Heron. It has a distinctive look and is easily identifiable to even the most novice birder. It stands so very still, like a beautiful statue, for long periods of time patiently watching and listening to its surroundings. When it moves, it has an elegant, purposeful stride. When it flies, it uses such slow, powerful wingstrokes, yet it seems to fly effortlessly across the sky.

While Great Blue Herons are fascinating to watch, as a wildlife rescuer who deals with everything from Cedar Waxwings to Great Horned Owls, I must caution anyone who happens upon an injured Great Blue Heron. They may not be raptors, but they can be deadly. Herons rarely understand that you are there to assist them and they will defend themselves with their only weapon: that long, sharp spear mounted to the front of their face! If you do not take the proper precautions, that bill can pierce through your eyes or temples. Always call an experienced wildlife rehabilitator if you encounter a heron that needs assistance.
​

I’ll leave you with this bit of wisdom: “Advice from a Great Blue Heron: wade into life; keep a keen lookout; don’t be afraid to get your feet wet; be patient; look below the surface; enjoy a good reed; and go fish!”

Gene’s Limberlost Invitation to Indiana

7/10/2016

 
By Terri Gorney


Limberlost Invitation

By Gene Stratton-Porter


Come where the chewink chewunketh,
Come where the wild grapevines swing;
Come where the craw-dads are crawling
Over the bed of our spring.

Come where the sun in red glory
Tops Kestler’s tamaracks gray,
Come where the black bass are leaping
And the red-wings are calling all day.

Come where the rattlesnake rattles
While the kingfisher rattles also.
Come where the horned owl is hooting
And it rains at the call of the crow.

Come where the harebell is ringing
While the bluebell its worship call tolls’
Come where the vireo preaches,
And the Hermit his vesper song rolls.

Come where the polecat’s perfuming
Mingles with flower-scented air,
Come to our swamp in its glory,
Its joys we invite you to share.



This is a poem that Gene Stratton-Porter gave to Indiana for the state’s Centennial in 1916. It was published in “An Invitation to You and Your Folks from Jim and Some More of the Home Folks” compiled by George Ade. It is the first time that it was published; parts of this poem were written at an earlier date but not published. She wrote this beautiful poem that blended parts of both of her Indiana homes into it. In 1916 she owned both homes.

The Limberlost Cabin is in Geneva and where she lived and wrote for twenty-five years. She did her kingfisher studies here at the old gravel pit. There are “craw-dads crawling” in the creeks and wetlands still today. She wrote about the dangers of rattlesnakes and polecats in the swamp. Charles made sure she that he or a male guide went with her when she was out in the swamp.

Gene loved the Limberlost Swamp which she lived at the edge of in Geneva. She made the swamp famous and would be forever tied to it. When she built Wildflower Woods on Sylvan Lake she called the cabin Limberlost North. When she mentioned the tamaracks she is referring to the trees that are around the area of the lake.

When she wrote of the black bass she is referring to both places. In her book “At the Foot of the Rainbow” which takes place at Rainbow Bottom along the Wabash River she wrote of the black bass. While living at Sylvan Lake she enjoyed bass fishing and even “planted” bass there as part of a conservation effort. The lines of the birds, wildflowers, and grapevines she could be referring to one or both places. Her owl studies were done while she lived in Geneva.

It was inspiration from this poem that the exhibit “Limberlost Then and Now” was created and will be up through mid December.

This poem is only one of the things that Gene did for the state’s Centennial. We will share more of Gene’s year in the coming months. We at Limberlost State Historic Site would like to extend a special “Limberlost Invitation” for all our friends to visit the site or attend one of our special Bicentennial events this year.

Happy 4th of July!

7/4/2016

 
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