Events

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The North American Dry Stone Walling Association met in Hope Ontario in 2009. I was there to participate by working with the dolomite rock and give a plenary session speech.

Since 1998, I’ve given hundreds of talks on stone wall appreciation, investigation, education, and conservation.  Most occurred between 2003 and 2009 when I was speaking an average of two nights a week and one weekend event.  Since then, I’ve slowed down to a several per month. All were by invitation.

UPCOMING IN 2015

May 17 –  Kent, Connecticut (Raindate of May 24).  Eric Sloane Museum.  Public lecture and stone wall tour. Details in preparation.

May 16 – Guilford, CT, all afternoon on Saturday.  Henry Whitfield State Museum (248 Old Whitfield St, Phone 203-453-2457, http://www.cultureandtourism.org/cct/cwp/view.asp?a=2127&q=302248).

  • 1:30 PM:   Public Lecture in Guilford Free Library on the local geology and the Whitfield House.
  • 3:00 PM:   Exploring the Stone Walls of the Whitfield House,
  • 3:45 PM:  Stone Wall Secrets: A Hands-on activity for children at the Whitfield House.

April 25 – Glouster, RI, all day.  Rhode Island Statewide Historic Preservation Conference.  Keynote speech: From Sticks to Stones and Back Again: The Underground Story of New England’s Stone Walls.

April 23 – Killingworth, CT, at 7:30 PM.   Killingworth Public Library.  Public lecture on New England’s Stony Sense of Place.  The meeting will take place in the FireHouse.

April 2 – Boxboro MA at 7:00 PM.  Boxborough Historical Society (co-sponsored with other local organizations). Lecture on Stone Walls and the Henry David Thoreau Connection.  Arrangements in progress.

 

PAST EVENTS OF LATE

April 11 – Guilford, CT. Not open to the public.   Stone Wall Secrets School Program, Branford Elementary School.

April 13 – Sunday afternoon, 2-4, Middletown, RI.  Middletown Historical Society.  Paradise School, 2 Prospect Avenue, Middletown, RI.  Public lecture on the Natural History of Stone Walls.

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One of my popular talks is the ‘Natural History of Stone Walls,’ during which I compare the hardscrabble, expedient-thinking farmer family to a colony of ants.

 

April 26 – Saturday afternoon, 1:00-2:00, Harvard MA.  Fruitlands Museum.  Lecture and booksigning for Walden’s Shore on Henry’s Thoreau Rock and Mineral Collection and his thoughts on Stone Walls.   Walden’s Shore.

May 4 – Sunday, Upton, MA.  Schedule 10:00-2:00.  Friends of Upton State Forest.  Lecture, signing, and field trip on conserving stone walls.  Free with registration.  Session #1:  10:00-11:30. Public lecture and signing at VFW Hall, 15 Milford St, Upton, MA.  Session #2:  12:45-2:00  Exploring Stone Walls, Peppercorn Hill.

May 15 – Thursday evening, 6:00-7:30, Stonington, CT.   La Grura Center.  Lecture on Natural History of Stone Walls.

May 27 – Tuesday morning, 8:00-10:30, New London, CT.  The Williams School, New London, MA.  Private School program. 

June 5 – Thursday evening, 6:30-9:00, Concord-Lincoln) MA.  The Thoreau Institute, Spring Lecture Series: Readings from Walden’s Shore.

July 12  – Thursday afternoon, Concord, MA.  The Thoreau Society Annual Gathering, Lecture on Walden’s Shore for registered attendees.

July 15 – Tuesday afternoon, Block Island.  Block Island Garden Club and Conservation Trust.  Public Lecture on the Block Island Stone landscape.