November 12, 2013

Dear Friends,

I have always been fascinated by a rose bush that grows on the right-of-way at the intersection of Meridian and Hadley Ferry Road, not far from Birdsong's entrance. It is a deep red color, with healthy, gleaming leaves and the classic rose fragrance. It springs back from abuse and thrives on neglect. I have seen it in full bloom on Christmas Day. Years ago a rosarian friend and I grew rooted cuttings from the rose, and I learned its name -- Louis Philippe.

Just last month I found out about the origins of that old rose bush. Chuck Eason, Birdsong's land management assistant, told me that his grandmother Frances Collins planted the rose in the early 1900's when she and her husband Linton Collins farmed that corner.

Change has come gently and gradually to that stretch of Meridian Road. What had been since the 1830's the old Dickey farm was taken over by the Komareks in the 1930's, who continued to farm the land until the 1960’s and then manage it for wildlife until Birdsong Nature Center was founded in 1986. Linton's Corner was sold out of Chuck's family in the 1990's, but in 2009 Chuck came "home" and now lives and works at Birdsong, less than a mile from where his ancestors settled.

That old Dickey farm, now Birdsong Nature Center, must be grateful for the care it receives from Chuck and all of its hard working staff and volunteers. They look after live oak trees that now grow where cows once grazed, and there are projects underway to plant longleaf pines in one section and to re-establish native ground cover for gopher tortoise habitat in another. It is clear to anyone who knows Chuck and sees the love and care he gives to his work at Birdsong that those woods, fields, and swamps will always be his home, though his family no longer farms at Linton's Corner.

Thinking about Chuck's roots and the roots of that 100 year old rose bush got me wondering about the meaning of the word "home" and how it has eroded over the years. We see the word everywhere -- new home, beach home, second home, motor home, manufactured home. But can a home be new? Can a home be a place where no one has ever lived before? Can a home be in New Jersey one day and Virginia the next? Does "home" now merely mean "house?" And is it just the meaning of the word that has changed, or are we really losing the whole concept of home, as daily lives and ways of living change? Very few of us work the same land our grandfathers farmed, or live in a house our ancestors built, or even in the same town they settled in. Most of us wouldn't want to. We like our busy, exciting, peripatetic lives.

But that doesn't mean we don't still have a need for home. That atavistic longing is too deep and too old to go away in a few generations of shifting lifestyles. We will always yearn for a connection to a long-loved place, where change comes slowly, where we feel secure and at ease, a place that we care for and that cares for us back. For its members and volunteers, Birdsong Nature Center is just such a home.

As the end of the year approaches, and we contemplate the meaning of home and the sense of place that Birdsong provides us all year long, the Birdsong Board of Directors invites you to join them in making an end-of-year gift. Our goal, with your help, is to raise $60,000 by December 31st. The entire Board and staff have each made a generous gift and 28% of our 2013 goal has already been attained. We are relying on you to make this goal a reality and to help Birdsong thrive.

Your gift will help ensure that this meaningful place will be a home for future generations, a wild and beautiful and simple place, where nature is celebrated and you will always be welcomed home.

Sincerely,

June Bailey White
Past President and Plant Sale Chair

 
P.S. Birdsong is a 501(c)3 corporation, so your gift is entirely tax-deductible. Please check with your bank or credit card company for a monthly deduction program, which can make a monthly gift automatic. Your business may have a matching gift program that can enable you to increase the value of your contribution.

Every gift matters; every gift is a vote of support. We deeply appreciate your participation.

If you would like to make a donation to Birdsong, please see our Donations page for information.

 
You may also enjoy reading others of June's beautifully written letters. Below is a list from which 2011-2014 appeal letters can be selected.

2015 Annual Appeal Letter, Birdsong's 30th year and the embryo forest.

2014 Annual Appeal Letter, a story of community and an iconic Shortleaf pine tree.

2013 Annual Appeal Letter and the story of the persevering Louis Philippe rose.

2012 Annual Appeal Letter, the story of early Birdsong scientists and the lesson of the wood storks.

2011 Annual Appeal Letter and the story of the three little cranberry muffins.