Sweet Auburn Winter 2006

Inside this Issue…

President’s Corner

Mount Auburn as a Natural Habitat and Wildlife Refuge by Jill Graboski and Dennis Collins
Originally purchased by George W. Brimmer, the plot of land described by Harvard students as “Sweet Auburn” attracted wildlife because of its rich flora and fauna. The diverse habitats cultivated by Mount Auburn’s three main bodies of water – Auburn Lake, Halcyon Lake, and Willow Pond – provide food sources for wildlife; the recently planted butterfly habitat at Willow Pond invites new winged visitors.

175th Anniversary Celebration! Breakfast Briefing

Mount Auburn Notables: Heroes of  Habitat by Bree Detamore Harvey
Harvey profiles Charles Eliot, landscape architect, writer, and founder of the Trustees of Public Reservations concept, and Harriet Lawrence Hemenway, founders of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Early Spring Bloom “There is a quiet spirit in these woods” by Janet Heywood
The poetry of Christopher Pearse Cranch, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Maria White Lowell, Nathaniel Parker Willis, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow accompanies images of the spring blooms at Mount Auburn.

The Indefatiguable, Indispensable Janet by Steve Anable
After 16 years as a dedicated Cemetery employee, Janet Heywood retires.

Fine Art at Risk by Meg L. Winslow
The Hygeia monument, sculpted by Edmonia Lewis and commissioned by Dr. Harriet Kezia Hunt, exemplifies the perseverance and talent of women in the 19th century. As one of few surviving works by Lewis, it is imperative that the rapidly-degrading monument undergoes preservation.

Binoculars Ready? Enjoying Birds in the Months Ahead by Robert Stymeist

Cemetery Development: Innovation, Beauty, and Conservation by Candace Currie
Currie details creative approaches to contemporary commemoration and innovative solutions to the challenges of burial space through her discussion of community memorials at Vesper Path, Azalea Wall, the obelisk at Begonia Gardens, Halcyon Garden, and Nyssa Path, and the upcoming development of Birch Gardens.

Volunteer Profile: Effie and Joyce, Flora and Friendship

Effie Shumaker and Joyce Friedman formed a close friendship as they worked together through the identification of the 5,400 trees in the Cemetery’s landscape.

Bigelow Chapel Progress Report

Annual Fund 2006 Update

Events: Celebrating 175 Years!