November - December 2004

Join us for our 2004 series on the Connecticut River Estuary! The Series runs from October 2004-April 2005 with monthly presentations posted here and on our printed Calendar of Events!

This series is designed to familiarize local residents with current ecological issues and concepts, and provide guided educational tours of local natural areas within the Connecticut River Estuary region.

Wednesday December 1, 2004 at 7:00 pm
Escape to the Galapagos Islands
Nature Talk and Slide Presentation
The isles of the Galapagos are three hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador and home to dozens of unique species that have evolved in isolation. This is the place that inspired Darwin’s Origin of Species; it harbors blue-footed boobies, sea iguanas, waved albatross, and of course, the giant tortoises. A great break from the busy holiday season, come explore the enchanted place and learn about the place that launched a thousand ships in the world of science.

Background on Our Speaker and Guide

Ecologist Judy Preston has been practicing conservation in the Estuary region for over ten years. Formerly Science and Stewardship Director for the state chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and more recently Director of its Coastal Conservation program, she is now launching a new initiative in the Connecticut River Estuary, the Tidewater Institute, to focus on regional conservation issues. Her education includes degrees in geology and applied ecology. Judy is active in local conservation efforts through the Conservation and Inland Wetland commissions in her hometown of Old Saybrook. She is also a founding member and past president of the Old Saybrook Land Trust. As an avid kayaker and hiker, Judy has explored and come to know many of the Estuary’s unique uplands and waterways.

Series Schedule:

Wednesday December 1 Talk 7:00 pm
Escape to the Galapagos Islands

Saturday January 8, 2005 Walk 9:00 am
Winter Ecology: Life’s Adaptations to the Cold
A guided walk through the Fairfax South Preserve, Old Lyme

Wednesday, February 2 Talk 7:00 pm
Understanding Ecology: The Layer Cake Approach to Landscapes

Saturday March 5 Walk 9:00 am
The Natural History of Selden Creek

Saturday April 2 Walk 9:00 am
Signs of Spring: A Walk through Great Cedars Conservation Area

All walks will originate and end at the library, unless otherwise noted. Rain dates for field walks will be the following Sunday morning, at the same time and place. People will be encouraged to carpool. Judy will provide written directions for the carpool drivers. All walks require appropriate walking shoes and clothing, and water is recommended. The nature walks will be limited to a maximum of 25 people. Sign up early! To register, please call the Library at 434-1684.

Book Chats
Wednesday November 10 at 11 am in the Genealogy Room
This month’s book is Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard. New members are always welcome. Copies of the book are available at the Circulation Desk.

Local Author Talk
Saturday November 13 at 10:30 am
John Langone, Journalist-Author
John Langone is a veteran journalist, and the author of 25 published books on medical research, health, science, and human behavior. A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, he graduated from the Cambridge Latin School where his study of the classics influenced his decision to write.

He received a degree in journalism from Boston University, and later did post-graduate study as a special student at the Harvard Medical School, where he studied medical history, gross anatomy, and other medical subjects that prepared him for his specialty of medical writing. Earlier influences on his medical writing career were two uncles who were physiology researchers at Harvard and in whose laboratories John spent much of his teenage years as a “test tube washer” and “lab mascot”, which allowed him to observe experiments and scientists.

He began his actual writing/reporting career in United Press International’s Boston bureau and in the international news section in Chicago, and then moved on to a position as a reporter, and then medical editor of the daily Boston Herald-Traveler.

In 1980 he joined the writing staff at Time, Incorporated, in New York City, for what would be a ten-year stint as associate editor at Time magazine and a senior editor at Time’s science magazine, Discover. The winner of numerous national journalism awards, he was a Kennedy Fellow in Medical Ethics at Harvard University (where he held an honorary faculty appointment in the Medical School’s Department of Social Medicine), a science–writer Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Tokyo.

John also followed another “career”—teaching non-fiction techniques, magazine and newspaper writing, science writing and reporting in graduate programs at Harvard, Boston University and NYU. He currently is the “Books on Health” columnist for the Tuesday Science Times section of the New York Times, and his own latest book is “The New How Things Work: Everyday Technology Explained“, published by the National Geographic Society. He lives in Old Lyme.

Artist of the Month Exhibit & Sale

Elin Larson
Recent Watercolors
November 1-30, 2004

Elin has been exploring the exciting possibilities of watercolor, both in subject matter and techniques since 1996. Her New Year’s resolution for 2000 was to devote her time and talent to developing her painting skills, which led her to joining a group of like-minded painters in the area. Elin exhibits regularly at the Lyme Art Association and has been included in shows in Clinton, Guilford and Mystic. She also enjoys her role of docent at the Florence Griswold Museum, which gives her the opportunity to continue learning about great artists of the past and their Old Lyme experiences. Elin also volunteers at the Lyme Art Association sharing with visitors to Old Lyme the rich story of today’s world of art.
“ I love living on the Connecticut shore!” writes Elin. ”With the beauty of this special place, its strong arts history and vibrant arts community, I am inspired to try, to do and to discover…. to be part of it all.” She encourages others to join a class and explore the art education opportunities that are right around the corner.

Artist Exhibit and Sale
Oil Paintings by Lyme Artist, Linda Elgart
December 1-30, 2004
Linda’s interest in the natural beauty of the Connecticut River Valley started at an early age, while the estuary was her playground.

Linda began her artistic career in painting hand carved birds for a well-known bird carver. Subsequently, Don Rosencrantz of Essex became her teacher of carved woodland and shore birds. After studying at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, her passion for nature expanded. The Connecticut River Valley continues to be the inspiration and the subject of many of her oil paintings.

Linda is also available to capture your garden or favorite scene by commission. She is a third generation resident of the area. She makes her home in Lyme, Connecticut with her husband Matthew Elgart.


World Wide Web Class
World Wide Web individual and group instructions are available. Please call the Information Desk at 434-1684 to pre-register.

Paperback Book Swap
Going to the beach? Have a favorite outdoor reading retreat for reading? Visit our free paperback ook swap located near the Information Desk. Donate a book for every one you find on the shelf and take it home with you! No check outs, no fines.

Children's Programs

November - December 2004

All programs require pre-registration. Please contact the Information Desk or Children’s Room to sign up prior to each event.

Autumn Stories
Mondays (Sept. 13– Nov. 15) - Twos and Threes - 10:30am
Enjoy stories, finger plays, music, and a simple craft.
The group will not meet October 11, 2004.

Thursdays (Sept. 16 – Nov. 18) - Baby Time - 10:15am - Newborn to Two
Enjoy stories, rhymes, music and movements with your child

Fridays (Sept. 17-Nov. 19) - Threes and Fours - 10:30am
Enjoy stories and a related craft or game.

Friday Fun
November 12 at 4:00 P.M.
Drop-in story hour for children in kindergarten and up. Children will enjoy stories, music, games and/or a simple craft.

Tellabration! 2004
Friday, November 19, 2004 at 5:30 P.M
The Library will once again be a host for this terrific local event. We will have several storytellers donating their time to perform at our library. Statewide publicity in November will feature our location. Don’t miss a night of family fun!