Man vs. Nature: April 26 talk continues Morristown library series exploring natural and historic preservation

Librarian Carolyn Dorsey and historic preservationist Marion Harris. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Morristown librarian Carolyn Dorsey and historic preservationist Marion Harris in 2016. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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A lecture series at the Morristown & Township Library explores the intersection of natural and historic preservation.
A lecture series at the Morristown & Township Library explores the intersection of natural and historic preservation.

By Kevin Coughlin

Almost everyone is for preservation of natural spaces. But historic places can be a harder sell.

A lecture series at the Morristown & Township Library hopes to change that.

“Natural and built environments are two parts of a single community… they are inseparable. You can’t talk about one without the other. They both comprise the context of our lives,” said Marion Harris, chair of the Morris County Trust for Historic Preservation.

The trust is presenting seven talks, collectively dubbed– what else?–Protecting Natural and Historic Places.

Next up, at 7 pm on Tuesday, April 26, 2016, is Man and Nature, IndivisibleSamuel Taylor, a marine biologist, will discuss humankind’s impact on the environment.

The free talks coincide with a library exhibition showcasing landscape designs by three North Jersey architects:

John Brinley (Morristown Green, 1909, and the Florham grounds that now are home to Fairleigh Dickinson University), Ethelbert Furlong (sculpture garden at the Museum of Modern Art, and West Orange’s Pleasantdale Chateau) and Joan Shapiro Greentree (New Jersey’s first recycling center).

That exhibit runs through August 2016.

“Our collections cover a lot of subjects related to preservation, such as archaeology, public policy and landscape architecture,” said Carolyn Dorsey of the library’s North Jersey History & Genealogy Center.

Librarian Carolyn Dorsey and historic preservationist Marion Harris. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Librarian Carolyn Dorsey and historic preservationist Marion Harris. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Remaining talks in the series:

History and Landscape Shape Each Other: How the Past Governs Your Own Ecological Future, Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Featuring ecologist Samantha Rothman, co-founder of Grow It Green Morristown.

Dating Historic Buildings,   Tuesday, June 14, 2016. With Margaret Westfield, architect and preservation consultant.

Saving the American Country House: Buildings and Landscapes Together,   Wednesday, June 22, 2016. With Mark Alan Hewitt, architect, historian and preservationist.

Mid-Century Modernism and the Recent Past Debate,   Thursday, July 14, 2016.  With Carol Barkin, local historian, preservationist and staff member of the Morris County Tourism Bureau.

What Are Historic Preservation Commissions All About?   Thursday, July 21, 2016. With Jonathan Kinney of the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office.

Horticulturalist Marta McDowell kicked off the series with a talk about historic gardens on April 5.

The lectures are underwritten by the New Jersey Historical Commission and the Friends of the Morristown & Morris Township Library. The library is at One Miller Road, Morristown.

 

Lecture brochure cover
Lecture brochure cover
Lecture brochure back
Lecture brochure back

1 COMMENT

  1. Timely series. Just in time to help citizens have meaningful input into the various development proposals coming up in the next few years. We often take for granted the positive impact of past efforts until they are lost.

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