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November 10, 1988 - Elderhostel: Learning From Man and NatureNovember 10, 198,8/The- Suffolk Times /Page 11A Elderhostel: Learning From Man and Nature By Paul Stoutenburph We had heard for some time from friends about Elderhostel and its concept of classes with housing, meals and ex- citing people. It sounded like a good idea to pursue. We read the literature and because it was our first trip and we weren't quite sure what it was all about, we chose a week in nearby Connecticut. The course we were particularly inter- ested in was on publishing a book. This idea has always been in the back of our minds and since Elderhostel was offering it, we thought this an ideal time to get involved. The course was taught by a past pres- ident of Dodd, Mead Publishing Com- pany. There were two other courses we could take if we chose, one on nature in Connecticut and the other, "God, Who, What and Where." The latter sort of challenged us both a bit but we thought we'd try them all. We headed over on the Orient ferry on a windy day and were glad we were on the big boat for as we rounded the fa- mous light in Plum Gut the seas took on an ominous look as the huge ferry rolled about. We really got an idea of why Plum Gut is a piece of water ev- eryone respects. Usually the area has fishermen jigging for bluefish but on this cantankerous day there was only one boat and it lay in the lee of the is- land. At one particularly rough spot, I looked over the stern of the boat to see how our car was doing in the open sec- tion aft. Luckily it was positioned in the middle and the car on the extreme windward side was taking the full force of waves that came over and literally covered the car. Once clear of the gut, things got back to a normal roll. Connecticut in Fall Dress Ashore we headed up into the com- plexities of man's signs, roads and con- fusion. Sharp eyes were peeled for signs that would head us in the right direction. Once out of New London and on I -95 we could sit back and relax. All about us the woods were aglow with the Tree Proud? Let 'Em Know SOUTHOLD— Should you have an impressive Devil's Walking Stick in your yard, or an American bladdernut or an ancient Russian olive, the Southold Tree Commit- tee wants to hear from you. The six- member committee, which has been surveying local trees for over a year, is planning a townwide tree inventory and is ask- ing for the public's help in compiling it. The purpose is to as- sess the present state of our tree population, as compared to the ver- dant, tree -lined days before Dutch Elm disease and hurricanes. Another goal of the committee is "to restore past grandeur to Southold's road- ways." Anyone with a particularly old or large tree is asked to fill in the coupon on the committee's ad, elsewhere in today's paper, and re- turn it to the committee.. Also, if you know of a local tree associated with a notable person or event, you can help make the tree famous by noting it on the coupon. Focus on Nature golden hue of fall. We were at the height of the color show and marveled at the shades of red, yellow and green that were maturing about us. One can't go far before realizing immediately the dif- ference in topography from our rela- tively flat East End. Here we were riding up and down long, sloping highways cut through huge banks to make the roads less steep. Rocks were every- where. Our destination was Ivoryton, a small town just west of the Connecticut River. Off the interstate roads climbed up and down more sharply, swung around high hills and became more of the blacktop surface roads we know here. When a town puts in local roads it can't afford to make them straight and smooth as Uncle Sam does when he builds the interstate highways. Local roads follow the contours of the land. Our arrival took away any fear of not liking the place. The conference center was nestled in amongst 650 acres of gorgeous woodlands. Ivoryton, originally Ivorytown, got its name from the fact that it was the ivory center at the turn of the century. It was where raw ivory tusks from Africa went to be made into combs, handles, etc., and most important — piano keys. Today ivory is no longer available. Plastics have taken over yet there is still a large industry of pianos being made here. Driving Around Connecticut In between classes Barbara and I took short rides in the nearby countryside; up and down, in and out we'd wind. The fall colors and stone walls set the coun- tryside off in all its splendor. It re- minded one of parts of our north shore around Northport and Stony Brook with similar roads and terrain. The woods were naturally close to ours in makeup. The hardwoods of oak and hickory ruled with a sprinkling of red and sugar maple, black and yellow cherry and pepperidge wherever wetness abounded. There was also an abundance of one of my favorites, which we have few of on the East End, the tulip tree. They stood out in their tall straight stature and glowed in brilliant fall yel- low. Much of the soil in Connecticut is relatively thin because of the underlying layers of rock which outcrop every- where; only occasionally do you find rounded boulders as we think of them here on the East End. The reason is simple, for the rounded boulders and stones we know (glacial erratics) were created by the grinding force of the great glaciers as they moved out of the north. Our north shore beaches show this most vividly. In some places there where rock was exposed, the telltale signs of that great moving, grinding glacier could be seen by gouges and scrapes now weathered deeply into the bedrock. Because of this underlying layer of rock, many of the trees are shallow - rooted and are easily blown over for their tap roots, which normally anchor them to the ground, merely wind around themselves in a desperate attempt to find a place to penetrate below. pimo tip% Faul Stoutetiuuiyil GROUND PINE —This low evergreen was widely collected in the past for Christmas greens. Perhaps that is why it has become so scarce in our woods and in some areas is protected. We see this sometimes in our own area where clay comes to the surface and prevents roots from getting a strong foothold. When the trees goes over in a heavy wind, it takes with it a huge mushroom -like clump of tangled roots and shallow soil, sometimes ten feet in height. This also happens when water is close to the surface and the roots stay in the shallow soil above. This is a phe- nomenon of our freshwater swamps. We'd spend part of every day in the woods and were warned there, as we have been here, about the ever- present tick problem. However, it meant more to us there for we were near Lyme, Conn., where the tick first came to the attention of the public and started our concern of the problem. Needless to say, SEC Registered INVESTMENT AD VISOR Individual investment plans designed for: • CAPITAL GROWTH •INCOME • RETIREMENT • IRA XEOGH 403 MAIN ST., GREENPORT, NY 11944 477 -1122 Free initial consultation Call for appointment Thomas Corcoran, Inc. we had more than one tick check and stayed on the trails and walked the road- ways whenever possible. From here we could see patches of ground pine, that low- growing evergreen that years ago was collected for garlands at Christmas time but today is protected. We sniffed the wintergreen and passed the pungent leaf from this ground creeper for all to smell. Our courses were challenging and ex- citing. The accommodations were excellent, the food good and wholesome, but best of all the people we met were all young at heart. We were so inspired that we've signed up for a New Hamp- shire Elderhostel in January for some cross - country skiing. Who knows — perhaps we'll see you there. HUNGERFORD CREATIVE SERVICES An affordable advertising agency & graphic design studio Advertising Radio Commercials • Print Ads • Sales Promotion • Marketing • TV • Direct Mail Graphic Design • Brochures • Catalogues • Newsletters • Sales Kits • Business Identity Design • Annual Reports • Mechanicals 323 -3565 p xaP X a � n 4 Vr ,.; r pimo tip% Faul Stoutetiuuiyil GROUND PINE —This low evergreen was widely collected in the past for Christmas greens. Perhaps that is why it has become so scarce in our woods and in some areas is protected. We see this sometimes in our own area where clay comes to the surface and prevents roots from getting a strong foothold. When the trees goes over in a heavy wind, it takes with it a huge mushroom -like clump of tangled roots and shallow soil, sometimes ten feet in height. This also happens when water is close to the surface and the roots stay in the shallow soil above. This is a phe- nomenon of our freshwater swamps. We'd spend part of every day in the woods and were warned there, as we have been here, about the ever- present tick problem. However, it meant more to us there for we were near Lyme, Conn., where the tick first came to the attention of the public and started our concern of the problem. Needless to say, SEC Registered INVESTMENT AD VISOR Individual investment plans designed for: • CAPITAL GROWTH •INCOME • RETIREMENT • IRA XEOGH 403 MAIN ST., GREENPORT, NY 11944 477 -1122 Free initial consultation Call for appointment Thomas Corcoran, Inc. we had more than one tick check and stayed on the trails and walked the road- ways whenever possible. From here we could see patches of ground pine, that low- growing evergreen that years ago was collected for garlands at Christmas time but today is protected. We sniffed the wintergreen and passed the pungent leaf from this ground creeper for all to smell. Our courses were challenging and ex- citing. The accommodations were excellent, the food good and wholesome, but best of all the people we met were all young at heart. We were so inspired that we've signed up for a New Hamp- shire Elderhostel in January for some cross - country skiing. Who knows — perhaps we'll see you there. HUNGERFORD CREATIVE SERVICES An affordable advertising agency & graphic design studio Advertising Radio Commercials • Print Ads • Sales Promotion • Marketing • TV • Direct Mail Graphic Design • Brochures • Catalogues • Newsletters • Sales Kits • Business Identity Design • Annual Reports • Mechanicals 323 -3565