Staff Photo
 
 
The Terrarium
Frank Bailey is the source of our information about this feature of the Nature/Ecology/ Conservation area of camp. In 1938 Paul Siple, a nationally-known scientist, was a member of the Nature staff, and he took on the project of building this terrarium to provide a spot where aquatic life could be sheltered and studied.  Circulating water was supplied with a line from Harvard latrine, which used lake water, and an underground drainage system took care of the overflow.  In 1984, since that latrine was no more and the water supply was shut off, a new plastic water line was buried, leading from the lake pump to the terrarium and the camper showerhouse.  The backhoe operator who did the digging did not realize that when he crossed the open area near the dining hall he was going to cut all of the electric wires leading across camp to the Konecki Health Lodge and the other buildings nearby! The fence around the terrarium was added the following year by Ranger Glen Gisel.

The Nature Area
We know that when the new dining hall opened in 1931, one end of the original dining hall became a Nature Museum.  Sometime after that, a log cabin was built near the terrarium for a Nature Lodge.  That building was the headquarters for the Nature area until 1968 when it was moved to Cadigan Lodge.  Although Cadigan Lodge was designed mostly for off season camping, the camping committee also wanted it utilized during summer camp.  The terrarium was essentially abandoned for two years.  In 1970, Nature director Dean Zaharis used Cadigan Lodge for the Nature area and used the old Naature lodge and Terrarium area for the Conservation area.  That year the Nature Area sign was updated and a similar Consevation Area sign was created.  The old Nature Lodge was removed in 1975 and by the early eighties the Nature Area was moved out of Cadigan Lodge and moved to the area it now occupies behind the terrarium.


(Click on any photo below to see it larger)
Nature Museum - 1931
Terrarium - circa 1950
Terrarium - circa 1950
Terrarium - circa 1950
Terrarium - 50's
  
Old Nature Lodge - 1970
Fawn in Nature Area - early 60s
Nature Area at Cadigan - 1968
Weather Station - 1970
Fred Gervat with Beelzebub the owl
Nature Area at Cadigan Lodge - 1972
Nature Area at Cadigan Lodge - 1974
Nature Area Sign - 1974
Terrarium - 2000
Terrarium - 2010
Terrarium - 2010
Terrarium - 2010
Aerial view of Terrarium - 2010
Lake water supply pipe ditch - 1984

Lake water supply pipe ditch - 1984
Lake water supply pipe ditch - 1984

Lake water supply pipe ditch - 1984
Map of waterline trench - 1984


Page design and layout by:
Dean B. Zaharis
Created: November 30, 2010
Last Update: December 22, 2012
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