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I took the train from Harlem out to White Plains yesterday. What a contrast between the two places! Having read Kozol's work and hearing about the disparities between urban New York City and its suburban counterparts, I made sure to keep my eyes fixed on the landscape outside.
Harlem/125th St - Fordham - Bronxville - Scarsdale - Hartsdale - and so on. Dilapidated and graffiti-ed buildings quickly gave way to quaint, tree-lined streets, quiet neighborhoods, and inviting delis and storefronts. Map the area and zoom in on the large patches of green; I don't know if I've ever seen a higher concentration of country clubs than in Westchester County.
In Hartsdale, Sarah and I discovered the Hart's Brook Nature Preserve and Arboretum. Tucked away between several major roads and highways, this small sanctuary hosted several walking trails through sections of beeches, maples, oaks, spruces, and more. Dead and drying leaves blanketed the ground as we trudged along, stopping to admire the sun's light as it squeezed through the trees and lit up bare branches.
The few other visitors to the park meandered about, enjoying the warm afternoon with their dogs. Vines climbed up tree trunks as if pythons in the jungle. The remaining birds, not yet migrated, occasionally reminded us of their presence with flitting wings and shrill song. Squirrels and chipmunks scampered about, finding and storing acorns for the upcoming winter. Life in these woods seemed to be slowly coming to a halt.
The setting sun in late afternoon provided a warm glow to everything in the woods. These evergreens presented some of the remaining bits of live color in the arboretum, a stark juxtaposition to the bare branches of the deciduous trees left to claw away at the sky.
Sarah took one look at this upended tree and immediately saw a boar's head. It took me a second to recognize the features, and I then undertook the challenge of capturing the sight in a photograph. I had to find the right angle, lighting and shadows, and perspective to make the camera see what we saw. I imagine it to be an old boar, his face showing signs of a long and full life. Now, he simply seeks a place where he can remain undisturbed, his weary soul ready to rest.
The archway, formed by a recently split tree, initially captured my eye. But as I took in the entire scene, I found myself drawn to the trees' shadows intersecting the orange-leaved path through the woods. They resemble railroad ties, forging tracks for us to explore as we worked our way deeper into the forest.
These people were among several we encountered who had their dogs with them for a stroll through the nature preserve. I love the way people peacefully co-exist in nature. There is much more of an attitude of sharing than of selfish competition for a slab of sidewalk or space on the subway car.
This quiet farmhouse greeted us and bade us farewell during our visit. I wonder how long it's been there. I admire the foresight of those who owned the land and decided to preserve it for generations to come. In an era where land is a premium, development almost a hobby, and the neglect of our planet a sad reality, pockets of nature such as this arboretum remain to help all of us in our quest to reconnect with our roots in Nature.
more photos here
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