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Rokeby`s trail camera has caught another late-night visitor to the Red Trail, a familiar one to many Vermonters. This raccoon, one of Rowland E. Robinson`s "midnight prowlers", stopped by a few times over the course of a week. RER had many colorful nicknames for the raccoon (free-booter, robber, despoiler of cornfields), but he also had a great fondness for the animal:
"This little brother of the bear is one of the few remaining links that connects us with the old times...when all the world had not entered for the race to gain the prize of wealth, or place, or renown. [It is pleasant] to know that he survives...if he too shall not then have gone the inevitable way of all the wild world." - RER, "The Raccoon", In New England Field and Woods, 1896
#wildlifephotography #nature #naturetrail #earthmonth #conservation
Apr 14
![Rokeby's trail camera has caught another late-night visitor to the Red Trail, a familiar one to many Vermonters. This raccoon, one of Rowland E. Robinson's "midnight prowlers", stopped by a few times over the course of a week. RER had many colorful nicknames for the raccoon (free-booter, robber, despoiler of cornfields), but he also had a great fondness for the animal:
"This little brother of the bear is one of the few remaining links that connects us with the old times...when all the world had not entered for the race to gain the prize of wealth, or place, or renown. [It is pleasant] to know that he survives...if he too shall not then have gone the inevitable way of all the wild world." - RER, "The Raccoon", In New England Field and Woods, 1896
#wildlifephotography #nature #naturetrail #earthmonth #conservation](https://rokeby.org/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
Rowland E. Robinson’s name may not be as well-known today, but there was a time when his books were considered synonymous with Vermont itself. Rokeby Museum recently discovered three illustrations by Roy F. Heinrich, bringing to life moments from "A Danvis Pioneer" and "A Hero of Ticonderoga". These scenes once ran in magazines nationwide as part of a 1934-1952 ad campaign for National Life Insurance Company®, today’s National Life Group®.
The advertisements were meant not only to sell insurance policies but to honor the rich history and culture of Vermont. The sole author included, Robinson’s characters stand alongside such famed Vermonters as Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, and Thaddeus Stevens. It is a strong reminder of his popularity and recognition among Vermonters even then, 40 years after his death.
With the assistance of archivists from @national_life_group, Rokeby was able to obtain high-quality scans of these illustrations, as well as the brief explanatory text that accompanied the drawings. While the exact ad copy has not been found, the title of each work gives a sense of how National Life Group® connected their business to the morals and themes of Robinson’s work.
#vermont #VermontHistory #literature #illustration #culture
Apr 11
A trip down Rokeby`s Red Trail brings us to a pond brimming with life and sounds. The chorus puts in mind some of Rowland E. Robinson`s words on the changing of seasons:
🌻APRIL DAYS🐞
"At last there is full and complete assurance of spring, in spite of the baldness of the woods, the barrenness of the fields, bleak with sodden furrows of last year`s plugging, or pallodly tawny with bleached grass, and untidy with the jetsam of winter storms...
...The woods throb with the muffled beat of the partridge`s drum and the sharp tattoo of the woodpecker, and are filled again with the sounds of insect life, the spasmodic hum of flies, the droning monotone of bees busy among the catkins and squirrelcups..."
- Rowland E. Robinson, "In New England Field and Woods", 1896
#vermont #nature #spring #naturesounds
Apr 6
Visitors of all kinds love Rokeby Museum’s nature trails! Our brand-new trail camera caught this curious coyote taking in the sights and smells of the Red Trail. They even made a few late-night return trips!
Rokeby’s trails are open year-round, dawn to dusk (apologies to our non-canine guests, no night-time strolls, please). Trail conditions change according to the weather. Come by and take a walk; you may be surprised at what you’ll see!
#wildlifephotography #nature #naturetrail #canine
Apr 4
Rokeby Museum was proud to be invited to speak with Dad Pod about our efforts to develop a racial learning curriculum for early education.
Education Programs Manager Jonathon Ahl sat down with @dadguild Patrick Lucey to discuss the difficulties of talking about race with young children and how Rokeby is working to give caretakers the support they need to have these conversations.
You can listen to the episode here: https://dadpoddadguild.libsyn.com/racial-learning-episode-7
Dad Guild`s mission is to support and empower fathers through connection, education, and community engagement. Want to learn more? Visit https://www.dadguild.org/
#earlyeducation
#raciallearning #parenting #dadguild
Mar 26
This International Women’s Day, Rokeby Museum honors the artistic achievements of two generations of Robinson women, Anna and her two daughters, Rachael and Mary.
Our 2025 seasonal exhibit, Inspired by Nature: The Women Artists of Rokeby, will showcase their extensive artwork of flora and fauna, subjects which were drawn from the grounds of Rokeby.
Inspired by Nature: The Women Artists of Rokeby will open at the start of our season, May 10th, 2025.
Too excited to wait? Stop by Rokeby Museum on our Free Museum Day, March 15th, 10:00am – 4:00pm. Explore our main exhibit, Seeking Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Legacy of an Abolitionist Family, and check out our gift shop for prints and reproductions of more Robinson art!
#IWD2025 #InternationalWomensDay2025 #accelerateaction
Mar 8
