Walden Pond State Reservation Interpretive Program

Civil Disobedience

Sponsored by the Thoreau Society’s Friends of Walden Pond Sunday, January 16, 2011 from 1:00pm-3:00pm Join local historians and park staff for this annual program to commemorate Martin Luther King Day at Walden Pond State Reservation.

At 1:00pm meet at the Thoreau house replica and visit with Henry David Thoreau portrayed by historian Richard Smith. Discuss the issues of the day and ask Mr. Thoreau your questions about the night he spent in jail in 1846 for not paying his poll tax which inspired his famous essay.

At 1:30pm Mr. Thoreau will lead visitors to the Tsongas Art Gallery at park headquarters where Thoreau Scholar, Thomas Blanding, will lead an engaging discussion on the writing of Thoreau’s essay Civil Disobedience. Learn how Martin Luther King Jr., inspired by Thoreau’s essay used the concept of civil disobedience during the civil rights movement. Other historic examples of civil disobedience will be touched upon during the talk.

Hot chocolate will be served after the talk and Mr. Thoreau will be available for conversation with visitors in the Thoreau house replica until 3:00pm. This program is oriented for visitors of all ages.

This is a free program but there is a $5.00 daily parking fee. Pre-registration is not required. No dogs permitted. Park programs are sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. For more information call park staff at (978) 369-3254.

The Thoreau Society and
the Concord Free Public Library present
Thoreau the Land Surveyor

Patrick Chura is associate professor of English at theUniversityofAkron, where he teaches courses in American literature. He is the author of two books—Vital Contact in 2005; Thoreau the Land Surveyor in 2010—and has published articles on a variety of literary-historical topics. Dr. Chura is a former Peace Corps volunteer and Fulbright scholar in the Republic of Lithuania.  He has received research grants from the European Union, the Fulbright Foundation and the University of Akron.

Thoreau The Land Surveyor, on sale at the Shop at Walden Pond.

Walden Pond State Reservation

NOVEMBER 20, 2010 - 1:30-3pm
Shop at Walden Pond - Tsongas gallery

Walking to Wachusett—A Re-enactment of Thoreau’s “A Walk to Wachusett”

Join Leominster resident Bob Young for a slide presentation of his re-enactment of the journey taken by Concord native Henry David Thoreau and described in his essay “A Walk to Wachusett.” Thoreau’s walk was taken on July 19, 1842. Beginning in Concord, he and companion Richard Fuller walked to Mt. Wachusett and back.
Bob and his wife Kathy have resided in Leominster for the past 17 years. While researching a trip to Mount Katahdin in Maine (also visited by Thoreau), Bob came across the Wachusett essay and decided to study it further. It was Kathy who suggested walking the route in order to capture in observations and photographs his thoughts and feelings about the historic, but little known journey.

To experience Thoreau’s trip, he first researched and then walked the exact route taken by Thoreau. Re-enacting the journey consisted of a three-day excursion in 2005 through the towns of Concord, Acton, Stow, Bolton, Lancaster, Sterling, West Sterling, East Princeton, and Princeton. His walk is believed to be the fi rst complete recorded reenactment of Thoreau’s journey.

The presentation will provide background information followed by a series of pictures and explanations of what Bob found and learned along the route. A real educational experience. At the end of the presentation, there will be time for questions. Also copies of Bob’s book, which describes his adventure, Walking to Wachusett, will be available for sale and signing.

Shop at Walden Pond, 915 Walden Street, Concord, MA , 01742 - tel. 978-287-5477 - fax 978-287-5620 - www.ShopatWaldenPond.org

The Thoreau Society's Friends of Walden Pond and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of State Parks and Recreation, present DB Johnson.

DB Johnson Children’s Author
Sunday, September 26, 12:30 to 2:00pm
Walden Pond State Reservation:
915 Walden Street, Concord, MA 01742, (978) 369-3254

Come and meet award winning author and illustrator of the book series that includes Henry Climbs a Mountain and Henry Hikes to Fitchburg. DB Johnson will read one of his books aloud and show his artwork. Meet in front of the Thoreau house replica next to the parking lot. In case of bad weather the program will take place at the Tsongas Gallery at park headquarters.

This program is sponsored by the Thoreau Society’s Friends of Walden Pond and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

This is a free program but there is a $5 parking fee. In order to protect the resource Walden Pond has a visitor capacity. When capacity is reached the reservation closes for several hours. All children must be accompanied by an adult. No dogs permitted unless they are working guides. For more information call park staff at (978) 369-3254. Reasonable accommodations upon request.