FoJMB Newsletter 2013 06

7/27/2019 FoJMB Newsletter 2013 06

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Newsletter No. 24, June 2013

Contents

John Muir Quotations ............................................................ 2

Links with Marquette County, Wisconsin ............................ 3

Links with Meaford, Ontario .................................................. 5

Dunbar Primary School Artist in Residence ..................... 5

Visitors to the Birthplace ........................................................ 6

John Muirs Birthplace Museum - News ................................ 8

Dunbar Civic Week Dunbar Conversations ...................... 9

Friends of John Muir Country Park .................................... 10

John Muir Award Update ..................................................... 11

Opening of the John Muir Trust Wild Space ...................... 11

Annual Sand Sculpture Competition .................................. 12

Membership Renewal Reminders ....................................... 12

Annual Sand Sculpture CompetitionSaturday 10th August, 10:00 - 12:00East Beach


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John Muir QuotationsCelebrating 100 years of

The Story of My Boyhood and Youth

On 15 March 1913, John Muirs The Story of My Boyhood and Youth was

published by Houghton Mifflin, Boston and New York. It has constantly been

available in the 100 years since. It tells of his early years in Dunbar and then,

from ages 11 to 22, of growing up in the wonderful Wisconsin

countryside. His love of nature, awakened in East Lothian, was nurtured in

Marquette County and inspired him to change the worlds view of wild places.

In recognition of the centenary of the publication of this book, and in the lead

up to 175th

anniversary of Muirs birth, Friends President Jim Thompson

posted a daily quotation to the Friends Facebook page1 starting on the 15thMarch 2013 with:

When I was a boy in Scotland I was fond of everything that was wild, and all

my life Ive been growing fonder and fonder of wild places and wild

creatures. Fortunately around my native town of Dunbar, by the stormy North

Sea, there was no lack of wildness, though most of the land lay in smooth

cultivation.

On 21st April, 2013 Jim completed the series of 38 quotations with:

Although I was four years at the University, I did not take the regular course

of studies, but instead picked out what I thought would be most useful to me,

particularly chemistry, which opened a new world, and mathematics and

physics, a little Greek and Latin, botany and geology. I was far from satisfied

with what I had learned, and should have stayed longer. Anyhow I wandered

away on a glorious botanical and geological excursion, which has lasted

nearly fifty years and is not yet completed, always happy and free, poor andrich, without thought of a diploma or of making a name, urged on and on

through endless, inspiring, Godful beauty. From the top of a hill on the north

side of Lake Mendota I gained a last wistful, lingering view of the beautiful

University grounds and buildings where I had spent so many hungry and

happy and hopeful days. There, with streaming eyes, I bade my blessed Alma

Mater farewell. But I was only leaving one University for another, the

Wisconsin University for the University of the Wilderness.

1 www.facebook.com/groups/fojmb/


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Links with Marquette County, Wisconsin

When Daniel Muir took his family to the New World in 1849, his original

destination was Canada but advice gathered en route made him change

direction. Instead, the Muirs settled in Marquette County in the south of the

frontier state of Wisconsin. Fellow settlers in the area were largely fromScotland or were Ulster Scots. Initially the area was sparsely populated with

the nearest family four miles from the Muirs Fountain Lake farm.

2013 is the centenary of the first publication of Muirs autobiography The

Story of My Boyhood and Youth which covers the first 24 years of Muirs life

the Dunbar and Wisconsin part. Friends have strong links with Martinez,

California, and rather more tenuous ones with Haines, Alaska, and Meaford,

Ontario. Wisconsin has proved more difficult. However, recently, the

Wisconsin Friends of John Muir, based in Montello, the county town of

Marquette County, has been reborn and contact was made through their

website. When it was suggested to them that the two sets of Friends should

bond in some way, that was enthusiastically received. E-mails were

exchanged with their president Tiffany Lodholz and the vice-president

Kathleen McGwin and the outcome was a suggested Sister Cities declaration.

[Kathleen is heavily involved in local history and she and Pauline Smeed,

Friend and also Secretary of Dunbar & District History Society, have been

corresponding see the next article.]

A couple of details needed to be resolved. Montello has a population of

around 1,500; Dunbars is 8,000 and growing. Marquette County is a rural

area and it was the countryside and seashore around Dunbar which awakened

John Muirs love of nature, and which contains the John Muir Country Park

and over 18 miles of the John Muir Way. It was suggested that the link be

between Marquette County and Dunbar & East Linton District. The latter

involved seeking the approval of four community councils Dunbar,Dunpender, East Lammermuir and West Barns. Agreement was given;

Wisconsin Friends took the proposal to the Marquette County Board; and they

voted unanimously to declare that the two areas were Sister Cities, the first

time both partners were not technically cities in the American sense. But

then John Muir was never one to be kept within boundaries, was he?

We look forward to the relationship developing.

Will Collin


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In 2011, Dunbar & District History Society was delighted to support John

Muirs Birthplace in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the twinning

arrangement with Martinez. An exchange of photographs took place with the

Martinez Historical Society and a display of old Martinez was mounted at the

Birthplace. It seemed highly appropriate therefore that, with the celebration of

the 100th anniversary of My Boyhood and Youth, Dunbar and District HistorySociety should contact a historical society in Marquette County, Wisconsin.

Photographs of old Dunbar which were sent to Kathleen McGwin of Montello

Historic Preservation Society are now on display in(link here Duncan),

while a powerpoint presentation of old Wisconsin images, sent by Kathleen, is

running at the Birthplace.

The images in the Birthplace show not

only some of the homes & buildingswhich date back to John Muirs early

Wisconsin years, but some of his

friends and the community.

From the Old World to the New has

proved a wonderful opportunity not

only to forge closer links with

Wisconsin, but to give staff, Friendsand our many visitors a greater

understanding of the place where the

Muir family made their new home in

America.

Dunbar & District History Society

also have a display of photographs of

Dunbar in the 19th century, showingjust some of the events and places in

our town associated with John Muir.

This will run in Dunbar Town House

Museum & Gallery until the end of the

year.

Pauline Smeed,

Secretary, DDHS

Wisconsin settlers barn-raising

Fountain Lake from the boat landing


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Links with Meaford, Ontario

Thanks to an initiative by Stephen Bunyan, Chairman of Dunbar Community

Council, links have been re-established with the community of Meaford2

in

Ontario, Canada.

The Canadian Friends of John Muir (CFJM) was Meafords equivalent

community group to FoJMB but, sadly, CFJM "have officially terminated the

organization. The members are still around and willing to assist visitors to our

web site and to our community."3

However, the Mayor of Meaford recently

responded very positively to Stephen Bunyans proposal to re-establish links

with Meaford and FoJMB have followed up this by contacting the Mayor

directly. It is hoped that this renewed enthusiasm for links between Dunbar

and Meaford will result in positive outcomes for both communities.

An update will be provided in the next newsletter.

Duncan Smeed

Dunbar Primary School - Artist in Residence

Friends council member Ross Combe has

completed a five week workshop serieswith all primary 3 classes at Dunbar

Primary School as their 'Artist in

Residence'. Muir's text, The Story of My

Boyhood and Youth, was referred to in

each session as the inspiration for a varied

set of artworks. Colour mixing from

natural colours, insect architecture, mini-

globe making, wet-felting and map makingwere explored.

Friends have also funded the purchase of sketchbooks

for all members of the DPS Art Club, with the intention

that they record their 'Childhood and Youth' in Dunbar.

[Photos courtesy of Diane King, P3 teacher, DPS]

2 http://www.meaford.ca3 http://www.johnmuir.org/canada/coming_events.html


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Visitors to the BirthplaceSierra Club President - Allison Chin

On Wednesday 1st

May Allison Chin, the current President of the Sierra Club,

arrived in Dunbar specifically to visit the Birthplace Museum. The welcome

party included John Hutchison, President of the John Muir Trust, JohnThomas, JMT trustee and chairman of the John Muir Birthplace Trust, Stephen

Bunyan, Chairman of Dunbar Community Council, Councillor Norman

Hampshire, Friends Will

Collin and Jim Thompson and

Jo Moulin the Museums

Officer for John Muirs

Birthplace.

Allison was fulsome in her

praise for the birthplace and

said she would spread the

word on her return to the

USA.

[See also Allisons visitors book

comment below. Ed.]

Visitors Comments

Whilst I was volunteering at the John Muir Birthplace on Thursday 13th June a

Canadian professional photographer, who told me he had toured the world,

came in. He wrote in the visitor's bookThe best exhibition of anything that I

have ever encountered in my life... (I am 60) Nice praise. As President of

Friends I get great delight in the comments of visitors who say that theknowledge of the staff and the very warm welcome they receive made their

visit special.

Jim Thompson

[Since the opening of the Birthplace Museum in August 2003 there have been over

110,000 visitors and the Visitors Book is indeed a source of delight for those involved

with the museum. Below are some more quotations from the visitors to the museum in

May and June this year. Ed.]

Carolyn Gray, Jo Moulin, John Hutchison, DavidAnderson, Allison Chin, John Thomas and Norman

Hampshire


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The first entry in May: This has been a destination for many years.Lovely & inspiring. Thank you from Sierra Club President.

Second time here, awesome and inspiring. [California]

Awesome! Really made my heart melt! [Colorado]

Excellent and informative. Very welcoming. Will return. [Glasgow]

Informative & absorbing museum extremely well set out. [Perth, WesternAustralia]

John Muir was total unknown to me but after this visit and talking to thenice people, John Muir aspiration for the nature is even more important

these days. Merci. [Paris]

Immensely moving. Thankyou. [Hertfordshire]

So interesting. What an incredible life story. [Somerset]

What an inspiring and informative exhibition. From southerners who hadnever even heard if John Muir. We have now. [Hampshire]

Superbly interesting. Helpful kindly staff. [Broughty Ferry]

Beautifully done. Greetings from Yosemite, California.

Lovely museum. As a Californian I am delighted to see this tribute to

John Muir.

Fantastic place to visit. Very interesting. [North Yorkshire]

Wonderfully laid out fascinating details & a true inspiration. [NorthSomerset]

Very inspiring. Thank you so much. [Isle of Wight]

Best museum. [Wisconsin]

Fabulous exhibit. [San Bruno, California]

The best summary of John Muir's life I have seen - a great man whosework has made a big difference to my enjoyment of nature!

I think this place is EPIC! I love how you can explore John's life.(Jeannie). Me too! (Jeannie's mum)

Very moving, beautiful, an informative excellent presentation. Wonderfulreminder for a former NPS employee @ Sequoia Natl Park

Most interesting to reengage with John Muir again in the place of hisbirth. Extremely helpful assistants. Brilliant! [Cumbria]


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John Muirs Birthplace Museum News

Summer&Holiday&Activities&for&Children!The John Muir Birthplace summer holiday

activity programme is included in the EastLothian Councils Summer Activities Brochure

2013 which is also available online4.

Copies of the booking forms for these activities

are available at Dunbar Town House, John

Muirs Birthplace Museum and in the online

brochure.

&

John&Muir:&My&Boyhood&&Youth&Exhibition&

This exhibition is still on at the

museum. There is also a lovely,

digitally projected, display of

historical images from Wisconsin

that Dunbar and District HistorySociety have coordinated in

partnership with Marquette County

Historical Society.

The temporary element of the My

Boyhood and Youth exhibition

[partly shown in the this photo]

will change over on Friday 21st

June with the following

exhibitions from Northlight Arts5

over the summer:

4 http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/downloads/file/6754/summer_activities_for_all_the_family5 http://www.northlightarts.co.uk


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The&Guga&Stone&22 June 25 July 2013&

The Guga Stone by Douglas Robertson6& is an exhibition of drawing,

assemblage and other collaborative work with poets and authors.

A&Sea&Apart&&The&Landscape&of&a&ScottishFborn&American&26th July 25th August 2013&

Tom Persinger7

and Alastair Cook8

present salt prints from John Muirs

Birthplace and his landing place, made this year using salt from the Atlantic

Ocean which John and his family traversed.

Dunbar Civic Week Dunbar Conversations

The John Muir Trail How can Dunbar make the most ofthis opportunity?

As part of the Dunbar Civic Week, Kilvert Croft

of Dunbar Community Council chaired a

Dunbar Conversations event. The theme for this

was inspired by the fact that the John Muir Trail

between Dunbar on the east coast andHelensburgh on the west coast will be officially

opened by Scotlands First Minister, Alex

Salmond, on April 21st

2014. Guest speakers

were Keith Geddes from Central Scotland Green

Network and Ron McCraw from Scottish

Natural Heritage. Keith and Ron are the main

driving forces behind the creation of this new

national trail. Also taking part in theConversation were representatives from

various local organisations such as Dunbar Traders as well as East Lothian

Council. There was an excellent turnout for this event and it is hoped that the

enthusiasm of those that participated including members of Friends can be

maintained and harnessed for the good of the local community. A more

extensive article and updates on progress will appear in a future newsletter.

6 http://www.northlightarts.co.uk/artists/doug-robertson/7 http://www.northlightarts.co.uk/artists/tom-persinger-2/8 http://www.northlightarts.co.uk/artists/alastair-cook/


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Friends of John Muir Country Park

Friends of the John Muir

Country Park9

generally meet

on the last Saturday of each

month, generally at 10am atLinkfield car park.

However, in April, the

FoJMCP work party was

arranged tto coincide with the

weekend of Muirs birthday

celebrations. So, on Saturday

20th

April, stalwarts of

FoJMB joined others to plant

hundreds of trees at Linkfield

car park. The work party included Scottish Government Minister for

Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse MSP shown in the

photograph planting the first of many trees.

Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: Throughout his incredible

career, John Muir worked tirelessly to preserve the natural environment for

future generations, inspiring people worldwide with his exceptional passionand commitment. During our Year of Natural Scotland in 2013 it is entirely

fitting that we mark the 175th anniversary of his birth here in Dunbar by

celebrating his outstanding natural legacy and encouraging people across

Scotland to follow in Muirs footsteps to experience the great Scottish

outdoors. I regularly visit John Muir Country Park, and it's a real honour for

me to have a chance, here, to formally mark the life of someone whose work I

greatly admire.

East Lothian Councils Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Norman

Hampshire, said: John Muirs innovative work in recognising the importance

of protecting the natural environment has been widely appreciated and adopted

across the world. Growing up in Dunbar the young John greatly loved the

variety of the natural environment around the town. Events such as this

weekend not only promote the values and beliefs of Muir but also seek to

actively put many of his ideas into practice to enhance and protect the local

environment.9 http://edubuzz.org/friendsofjohnmuircountrypark/


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John Muir Award Update

The John Muir Award team have developed a new website -

http://discoverjohnmuir.com/ - to act as a one stop shop for John Muir

Resources, events... and much more.

The John Muir Award Scotland Gathering for all John Muir award providers

will be in Dunbar on Friday 9th Sept based at Dunbar Town House Museum &

Gallery but visiting John Muir's Birthplace and various outdoor venues during

the day. For more details see: http://www.jmt.org/jmaward-gatherings.asp

Opening of the John Muir Trust Wild Space

Jo Moulin (Museums

Officer, John MuirsBirthplace) attended the

opening of Wild Space in

Pitlochry on 23rd April.

The brand new visitor

centre in the heart of

Pitlochry showcasing

Scotlands fantastic wild

places and the critical roleconservation plays in

keeping them wild. Jo met with Jane Grimley, Wild Space Manager at John

Muirs Birthplace in February to discuss partnership opportunities and make

sure that there was signposting between the two attractions. In the first month

of opening Wild Space has had over 5,000 visitors in the first 8 weeks and has

just taken delivery of a second batch of the Friends of JMB wee books for

sale in the shop and JMB leaflets.

WATCHa beautiful short film10

featuring the stunning landscapes and

wildlife of Scotland.

LISTENas local people take you on audio journeys through the culture and

ecology of our wildest places.

CONNECTwith nature in a self-guided exhibition featuring the work of top

landscape and wildlife photographers.

10 http://www.jmt.org/film.asp and https://vimeo.com/64554290


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Annual Sand Sculpture CompetitionSaturday, 10

thAugust, 10:00 to 12:00, East Beach

Following on from very successful

competitions in the past, we plan to do the

same again! Get out your buckets andspades and put your thinking caps on! Our

popular Friends of John Muirs Birthplace

Sand Sculpture Competition will take

place this year on Saturday 10th August

from 10am 12noon at the East Beach,

Dunbar. Come along and make a sea

creature ... a mermaid ... a boat ... historic

landmark etc. Let your imagination run wild!

Community judging and award of prizes will take place at noon. There will

be adult, child and family/group categories and prizes will be awarded for the

best sculpture in each category. Entry will be 2 per adult, 1 per child and 5

per family. We trust that summer will truly have arrived by August, but if the

weather is poor on the day, please phone John Muirs Birthplace - 01368

865899 at or just after 10am to find out if the event has been postponed

Membership Renewal Reminders

Renewal forms were included in the last newsletter for Friends who had taken

out their membership on an annual basis and whose renewals are not

automatically paid by standing order. Friends Council hopes that the

initiatives, events and publications that are produced to help promote Muirs

life and work and that support John Muirs Birthplace have been of interest to

the membership. If our records show that your membership is still due for

renewal then a subscription form will be included in this newsletter mailing.

FRIENDS CONTACTS

Official address: Friends of John Muirs Birthplace, John Muirs Birthplace,126 High Street, Dunbar EH42 1JJ: tel: 01368 865899Friends Email: [email protected] Website: www.muirbirthplacefriends.org.ukFacebook: www.facebook.com

Birthplace Email: [email protected] Website: www.jmbt.org.uk

FoJMB Newsletter 2013 06

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