Winter Reflections

The Long Night moon will soon be upon us -- beaming down the sun’s reflected rays from over four-hundred thousand kilometers away.  Every full moon sees a different part of the seasonal cycle of our year, and this one comes just days before the longest night in the north -- the winter solstice.  For many traditions, this cold season is a time of community, of celebration, and of the changing years.  And the moon, our monthly companion, has witnessed countless generations of these cycles -- watching each snowfall, each winter celebration, and each passing year -- from afar.  

The moonlight brings us a luminescent midnight landscape in the winter.  It’s a time when we can buckle on snowshoes after dark with no flashlight.  Though exciting, the winter is not a time of ease; going outdoors can be particularly challenging.  The layers of clothes, heavy boots, and woolen hats become a matter of survival as much as comfort.  Snowshoes and skis are a mode of transportation as much as recreation.  Sometimes, even opening the front door is a herculean effort.

But there are gifts in these efforts.  The winter is a time of year when the hemlocks bow low under early morning snow, when long-tailed weasels adopt their white coats while scurrying along stone walls, and when we’re greeted by the rising figure of Orion in the evening sky.  A crisp apple never tasted so good as at the end of a mile hike in the snow.  When the wind dies down and the mountains grow still, the beauty of winter is revealed.  In those moments, we are connected -- our lives woven together with all the other living beings, natural phenomena (both cosmic and miniscule), and the communal stories and traditions from the past.  Winter is a glorious and dynamic time to be outside.  

We hope that in this season, you come and visit the meadow and playscape behind The Nature Museum -- they are open dawn to dusk every day, and last year, we found an abundance of mammal tracks to explore.  The museum will be open 10-4 for the Christmas in Grafton celebration on Saturday, December 11th -- come on by to say hi!  We are also offering a winter hike that day with our educator and naturalist Jay DeGregorio.  Spots are still available, register soon on our website.

The support of this community enabled us to do so much this year.  We finished the Magic Forest Playscape, hosted the triumphant return of the Fairy House Festival, and invited compelling storytellers like Carolyn Finney and Tom Wessels to share their critical work with us.  Thank you for making this all possible.

We have ambitious plans for next year, so your continued support is essential as we schedule winter and summer camps, put the finishing touches on new workshop and speaker series, and work with local and regional schools to get kids outside with hands-on, experiential programming.  Donating is easy at our website, www.nature-museum.org -- and thank you for being a part of The Nature Museum community.

May your holiday season be filled with an abundance of wonder, and stay wild out there,

-Nikolas Katrick, Executive Director