Leah Glaser, Associate Professor, Central Connecticut State University

Proposal Type: Roundtable

Seeking:  General Feedback and Interest

Abstract: This roundtable will continue conversations about the intersections between public and environmental history. We will think about natural resources, specifically trees, as part of historic and cultural landscapes. Three of us will each outline a different aspect of this. We will examine how to analyze and “unpack” trees as historical evidence and cultural artifacts, the ways in which trees are a part of the built environment as well as the natural one. Liz Sargent will discuss the ways that trees possess “hidden” information about historic landscapes (spatial organization, cultural uses, etc) that can be brought forward to develop preservation guidelines, new treatment plans, or new site interpretation. Landscape Architect Tonia Horton (NPS) will discuss her experience with preserving Washington Square in Philadelphia and the process of revealing the original design intentions as an arboretum (versus an urban park) to guide management decisions. Leah Glaser will examine Connecticut as a case study, define the historic role of trees in both the state’s rural and urban landscape, under whose management they fall, and strategies for negotiating urban tree preservation in the context of severe storm sand power outages.

Seeking: Our goals for this roundtable are to continue conversations, in this era of climate change, about the intersection of natural and cultural resources. When it comes to preservation and artifacts, public historians often still interpret and work to preserve a past exclusive to man-made structures and materials. We have generally considered cultural landscapes as the best way to interpret, but management decisions outside of (and often within) the National Park Service continue to apply different standards for preservation. We hope to tease out a fuller concept for how to think about trees, how they change and bare witness to change. We, along wit the audienc e may discover the many historical secrets they keep merely because we do not read them correctly. We are fine staying at 3 presenters, but would welcome a very relevant 4th to the roundtable. We will probably be presenting at least 15 minutes each, but we every much want to interact with one another, hence the roundtable format.

If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to share contact information for other people the proposer should reach out to, please get in contact directly: Leah Glaser,glaserles[at]ccsu.edu

If you have general ideas or feedback to share please feel free to use the comments feature below.

All feedback, and offers of assistance, should be submitted by July 3, 2015.

Related Topics: Material Culture, Preservation, Place

 

Discussion

5 comments
  1. Greg Smoak says:

    Hi Leah,
    You have likely seen this: http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Trees-in-Paradise/
    I will send along contact information on a potential panelist via email.
    Best,
    Greg

  2. Hi Leah! Great topic! We’re not ready to discuss this on a panel, but we’re reinterpreting the Haas-Lilienthal House in San Francisco, an 1880s Queen Anne mansion, and we may be using the materials used in construction (lots of old growth redwood) to discuss the economic network and environmental impact over time. I’ve seen this approach used for stone materials in Denver’s architecture and in furniture (see Margaretta Lovell’s article dissecting the furniture of Greene and Greene). Max

  3. Laurie Arnold says:

    Hi Leah, your panel description made me think about Native place names, and that whether trees either persist or disappear, it impacts the way place name stories are told. Keith Basso’s work would fit nicely with this conversation eventually, even if not during this session.

    Laurie

  4. Melinda Marie Jette says:

    Leah,
    In thinking about your panel topic, I am reminded that the public and environmental history of trees also intersects with Euro-American colonization, industrial capitalism, and the commodification of resources/landscapes. From the Pacific Northwest, Richard White’s work on Island County, WA; Robert Boyd’s edited collection, _Indians, Fire, and the Land_; and Nancy Langston’s work on the forestry in the Inland region of the PNW may be of interest.

    -Melinda

  5. Tara Travis says:

    Leah:
    Your topic made me think of a tree that was identified as present during the Long Walk. We can discuss this more off-line. My work number is 970-529-4614.

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