Naturalist's Club Celebrate Anniversary

(This column was first published in the River Valley News in the summer of 1992. I remember spending that Saturday with the club as if it were yesterday. It's hard to believe it was 15 years ago. The Saint John Naturalist's Club is now 45 years old and still going strong and as far as I know, always looking for new members.)

The weather forecast called for showers. Instead the sun shone, bright and hot. Even the mosquitoes stayed away. Ok, some mosquitoes. Mother nature herself seemed to know something special was happening on the Kingston Peninsula that last weekend of June. And it was special. Mother natures soul mates, members of the Saint John Naturalist's Club were having a 30th anniversary party. And they couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate nature.

The tents started going up Thursday at the home of Allen and Janet Gorham on Pancake Hill, just below Crystal Beach. By Saturday there were tents everywhere. It looked like a mini Woodstock Festival. Close to 70 members of the Naturalist's Club made the trek to the Gorham's that weekend. Some came from as far away as Sussex. Others just canoed across the river from their home in Westfield. It was a powerful gathering of like minded people, according to Linda Caron, the president of the club and a resident of Grand Bay. "We all needed to spend some time together as a group." says Linda, "And for more then just the hour we spend at our regular meetings."

Janet Gorham, the former president of the club, invited the group to her home for this 30th anniversary party. She wanted this to be a special celebration. The Saint John Naturalist's Club was started back in 1962 by David Christie. On Saturday night he was the guest of honour at an anniversary supper consisting of among other things, beans. But not just any pork and beans. This old fashioned treat cooked all night in a big iron bean pot, buried on the beach in the embers of Friday nights fire. After the bean feast, awards were handed out and all members enjoyed a slice of anniversary cake decorated with yellow lady slippers, the new symbol for the club. Mitzi Withers of Bayswater designed a club pin depicting the yellow lady slipper in honour of Tom Page, a recently deceased member. The new pins arrived just in time for the anniversary weekend.

It wasn't all eating and meeting. The naturalists got out and explored nature too. Saturday morning saw the group hike to a bog on the peninsula. They call it Allen Gorham's bog. He's been coming here for 44 years and he says it hasn't changed a bit. Birder Jim Wilson led a group of bird watchers through the bog. Botanist Molly Smith did the same with a group of plant lovers. The kids loved finding the insect eating pitcher plants and the round leaf sundews. Frank and Mitzi Withers had a knack for finding last years cranberries and forcing everyone to taste the bitter things. Jocelyn Steeves, the bird house lady of Westfield, kept an eye out for bog birds and Don McAlpine of Grand Bay kept an eye on his kids. One of them disappeared in a sink hole and got soaked up to her arm pits. Even experienced bog hopper Molly Smith had to be rescued from one soggy spot that wanted her boots. Everyone survived the adventure and learned a lot.

There was still time in the day for a swim in the river, a paddle in the canoe and more hiking. Or if you preferred, a little snooze in the tent. Saturday night after supper the party ended with a bonfire on the beach. These naturalists may know about nature but most know very little about music. Anyone listening to their campfire sing song could attest to that. Maybe it was the "Campfire songs of Newfoundland" song sheets they were using? But everyone had a good time. The 30th anniversary party ended with a bang. It was a huge success.

"It's nice hanging around with these people." says president Linda Caron, "There's a lot of energy in this group. You learn a lot." And what better place for a group like the Saint John Naturalist's Club to gather then here in the River Valley, a place of incredible natural beauty. Happy 30th Anniversary.