“ I ran the Boston Marathon 13 times, including 4 times for Dana Farber. Then I had a mastectomy after a diagnosis of breast cancer and my running was curtailed. I turned to the healing of Mount Auburn, where the intimate nature of the landscape called for reflection on mortality / immortality and the wisdom of time. The owls in the Dell; the wide-open sky; the monument of the great abolitionist Charles Torrey, the martyr of liberty; and Edward Everett( president of Harvard 1832 and trustee of Mount Auburn Cemetery), who once said of the Cemetery:‘[ here we will be ] surrounded with everything that can fill the heart with tender and respectful emotions; beneath the shade of a venerable tree, on the slope of a verdant lawn, and within the seclusion of the forest.’“ I feel a profound connection to Mount Auburn Cemetery, as soon as I walk through the gates( no kidding!) I feel like I have arrived at my second home. As a child and adult psychiatrist, I would say that part of healing is writing a narrative; I chose to write a play, Regeneration, about my recovery, using much of what I learned about the artistic sculptures and history of Mount Auburn Cemetery from my close friend, the Cemetery’ s Senior Curator of Historical Collections & Archives, Meg Winslow.”
— Nancy Rappaport
Above, left: One of many of the awe-inspiring toadlets!
Above, right: Black-capped chickadee( Poecile atricapillus)
My new-found love of bird and wildlife photography has encouraged me to explore so many different parts of the 175-acre urban oasis. On many occasions, I find myself following birds around until the gates are about to close for the night. Last year, to my surprise, I was able to identify House Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Goldfinches, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Chickadees. And, on two separate occasions, an elusive Scarlet Tanager refused to let me snap its picture. However, I am hoping the odds will be in my favor this year!
If I am not following birds around, I can always find something else that piques my interest. For example, last June, I strolled along Halcyon Lake on my evening walk. I was hoping to spot a Great Blue Heron. Instead, as I made my way along the gravel path, out of the corner of my eye I noticed several tiny creatures jumping at my feet. I was a bit spooked at first as I thought I had surely stepped on a spider ' s nest! But, as I looked closer, I noticed they were not spiders. They looked like extremely small frogs. As I stooped lower to get a closer look, I could see exactly what there were: toadlets! Oh, what a delight! As I moved off the path and onto the grass, I noticed there were literally hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny toads emerging from the lake and making their way up toward the hills of the Cemetery. I spent a couple of hours taking video and photos of them. Mostly, I just marveled at how incredibly tiny and determined they were as they hopped towards higher ground. I was so enamored of those toadlets that I went back night after night to watch, until the last of them had made their way up into the hills.
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