Leaves from a traveller's diary
















Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons via Flikr
It's getting a bit late now to plan a tour of the beautiful New England landscape in the Fall, and in any case the autumn colours of this part of Devon are looking particularly sensational this year. But a forthcoming Friends of Fairlynch Museum talk in Budleigh Salterton's Peter Hall will no doubt inspire some of those attending to cross the Atlantic in search of spectacular scenery like that shown in the above picture.

The trees of New England will be just one of many aspects covered by Michael Wilson's talk entitled 'Trees of North America.' He and his wife Margaret, who live in Woodbury and have been Friends of Fairlynch for about ten years, spent time in America on two occasions during the mid 1960s and early 1970s while working in Seattle, in Washington State.

"While there we hiked and camped a great deal in the Pacific Northwest," he says. Since then they have had many holidays in many places in North America. Around 2000, Margaret started to do research for her book, Norumbega Navigators, published three years ago, and that took them from Virginia to Labrador.

It was these journeys that inspired Dr Wilson with his passion for the American trees featured in his talk, illustrated with some fascinating images. Subjects covered include the massive trees and lovely forests of the Pacific Northwest and the effect of climate and altitude on their growth. Further topics will touch on California for the Redwoods, then across to Newfoundland with its extreme climate. Then, south to forests devastated for the King’s Navy in the cause of British sea power and the foundations of the Empire, the glory of the ‘Fall Colors’ and finally logging big-style.

'Trees of North America' is on Monday 15 November 2010, at 7.30 pm in the Peter Hall. Entry is £1 for Friends of Fairlynch, £2 for non-members.

The Friends of Fairlynch support and fund-raise for Fairlynch Museum. Annual membership offers unlimited free entrance to the Museum during opening hours, three newsletters annually giving information about the Museum, and a programme of winter talks at a reduced entrance price.

New members, at an annual subscription of £10 per member, are most welcome. Please contact Jan Harvey on 01395 444334.


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