Peak Foliage

Peak Foliage
October on Preston Pond

Brief History of Preston Pond

Born from glaciers about 13,500 years ago, the original pond was only what is now the wider north end. Probably about 10,000 years ago, as the modern forest started to take root, beavers colonized the pond and expanded it (old dams are under the water surface).

With the arrival of Europeans in New York and coastal New England, a vigorous fur trade grew in the 17th Century. Beavers are particularly vulnerable to trapping since they are easy to find and they were wiped out by the 18th Century. With no beavers to maintain the dams, Preston Pond drained and appears on 18th and 19th Century maps as only the smaller original glacial north end.


Reintroduction in the 1920's and 1930's led to beavers recolonizing Preston Pond. By chance, they arrived the same year my grandfather bought the property in 1946. Ever since then, beavers have lived unmolested (by humans) on Preston Pond - until February 2016. They have never caused flooding problems or over-eaten the surrounding forest stand to the point that they abandoned the pond. Their population has doubtlessly had its ups and downs, but they have managed their affairs here for the last 70 years as beavers did for millions of years: on their own, despite some of their top predators having been exterminated by humans.

[In talking to members of our family, there have been two brief intervals in the past when the beavers were absent: First, in '71/'72 (I was preoccupied with high school, track and cross-country so didn't notice or recall and the reason is unknown) and second in '83/'84 after a major dam break. At least one adult was killed in the outwash. I was living in NYC at the time and a new father and again, had forgotten that as well].





Friday, March 11, 2016

OK, the new piece - from a walk I did about two weeks ago - will be posted tomorrow (I'd do it now, but the light is bad for shooting it - I use natural light). So, before that comes up, there is one more fairly recent piece from this past fall from Preston Pond.

"First Freeze" Snows in the Air - Preston Pond. 12" x 15" acrylic
The patterns in the ice grabbed my eye walking with the dogs along the shore last November. The geese were Canadas, but Snows worked better with the piece. Saw a flock of Snows just a couple days ago, so feel better about sneaking them in. Snow Geese have shifted their flyways in the last couple years, but generally to the west, so seeing a flock here was an unusual treat (as well as validating my "artistic license").





















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