WILMOT – The Wilmot Community Association (WCA) and the Wilmot Conservation Commission (WCC) will sponsor “Returning North with the Spring: Retracing the Journey of Naturalist Edwin Way Teale” at 2 PM, Sunday, March 31 at the WCA’s Red Barn, 64 Village Road in WIlmot.

John Harris, projects coordinator for the Monadnock Institute of Nature, Place and Culture at Franklin Pierce University, will present the program. Made possible through a grant from NH Humanities, the talk is free and light refreshments will be served.

In 1947, Teale and his wife made a four-month journey tracing the progress of spring from the Everglades to the summit of Mount Washington. The popular naturalist then wrote his best-selling book North with the Spring to recount the 17,000-mile journey.

Sixty-five  years later, Harris set out to retrace Edwin Way Teale’s route. Using Teale’s journal notes and photographs, Harris examined changes in the flora, fauna, and people along the route. In his talk, he shares the transformations and changes he found on the long journey.

Harris holds a doctorate in British and American literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has taught at Franklin Pierce University. In addition to his book North with the Spring, Harris has organized and helped edit two regional anthologies – Where the Mountain Stands Alone and Beyond the Notches: Stories of North Country New Hampshire.

The WCC supports educational programs to identify health hazards found in nature.

The WCA owns and operates the Red Barn, a community center, and Timmy Patten Park, a beach and playground. The not-for-profit organization provides facilities for entertainment, recreation and educational activities for families, adults and seniors and sponsors and cosponsors a variety of programs throughout the year.

You can find more information about the WCA and the Edwin Way Teale workshop online at www.WilmotWCA.org and the WCA’s Facebook page.