Upcoming Lectures

Wetlands were often draineid for fields. Abandonment of fields and restoration of the drainage, often submerges stone walls. Mansfield, CT.

The typical venue involves an introduction by the host, a 45-50 minute slide show, and Q&A, followed by the signing/inscribing of books and general discussion. An honorarium is expected, but is negotiable, depending on the organization and location. His talks are always adapted for the local audience. The building blocks of these lectures include the:

• HISTORY -- Cultural and environmental history of stone walls.
• NATURE -- Exploration of stone walls for clues to their origin
• CONSERVATION-- Policies for managing this stone wall resource.
• GEOGRAPHY -- Spatial variations in the characer of stone walls from local to global.
• ART -- Stone walls are a combination of folk art and natural beauty. There is also a parallel between art history and the way stone walls were viewed.
• LITERATURE-- The link between stone walls and American literary culture is compelling.

Should you be interested, please feel free to contact Professor Thorson via emai to help arrange the talk that best fits your group. Before you do, however, please examine the list of previous programs to get a sense of the venues, and the calendar of events to make sure your intended date does not conflict with his schedule.

August 22, Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire. Visitors Center, Appalachian Mountain Club. 8:00-9:30. Free lecture on the connection between New England's magnificent alpine scenery, sandy beaches, and stone walls.