By Steve Sears
The Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood, and the North Jersey History and Genealogy Department of the Morristown and Morris Township Library, recently joined forces to create an exhibit about something many are fond of.
“It’s a pocket wilderness in the city,” says Friends member Susan Landau of 14- acre Foote’s Pond Wood. The exhibit, which is open through August 31, is in the Kirby Gallery on the second floor of the Morristown and Morris Township Library.
“The exhibit,” says Landau, “is organized into glass cases. The first, an
introduction, which lets you know that the park is only a 15-minute walk from the library and there is loads of wildlife activity and that is was important in the general history of Morristown and invites you to visit. The second case is the historical info tracing history from the 1850s to the present. with interesting bits about ice and carp farming. The next three cases are stunning photos of Flora and Fauna taken at the park. Muscrat, heron, egrets, frogs, snakes, ducks, small birds.
butterflies, wild flowers, fancy fungi.”
Discussion for the exhibit was taken up at a FoFPW meeting, and the group then approached the library.
“The Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood approached the library about doing an exhibit,” says James Lewis, head of the North Jersey History and Genealogy Department at the library. “The Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood had no idea how to design an exhibit. I explained to Susan Landau and then Susan, Christine Miller and Greg Lombardi, how the exhibit should be designed (i.e. that the introduction
should include 100-300 words about Foote’s Pond Wood and the Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood; that there be a section on the history of the pond that the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center would select historical images and write text for; that the Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood would have to write captions for their 65+ photographs (mostly of wildlife); that there be a section on Recreation at Foote’s Pond Wood; that there be a section explaining the natural progression of a pond; and a conclusion; and that each section would have text panels of 100-300 words.”
He adds, “The Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood wanted to do the exhibit. We wouldn’t and couldn’t have curated an exhibit on Foote’s Pond Woods without them. The Friends provided most of the images for the exhibit and most of the captions for the exhibit.”
FoFPW Ecologist, Bill Munther, will host nature walks at the park, with the next one set for Saturday July 21 at 10:30 a.m.
“He can identify plants that tell its history as farm land, explain the habits, and generally ID any plant or animal, especially birds, that you might want to know about,” adds Landau.
All are welcome to view the exhibit in the library’s F.M. Kirby Gallery during the library’s hours. Folks from the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center are available to answer questions. For more information, contact njhgc@jfpl.org or
call 973-538-3473.
Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood, welcomes new members and meet in the library the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m.