Middletown Art Center collaborates with Lake County Land Trust on new art trail project
- Kathleen Scavone
- Posted On
"The voice of nature is always encouraging." – Henry David Thoreau
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – On a recent cool and damp winter day, about a dozen Middletown Art Center art and nature enthusiasts met in southern Middletown at Rabbit Hill and Chaparral Preserve for a walk to discuss plans for a new art trail on the property.
The excursion was the initiation phase of a shared art trail design and implementation venture between MAC’s Restore project and the Lake County Land Trust.
The art trail design will be inspired by Rabbit Hill's unique environment and put into play the proposals of thinkers and doers at MAC, led by Lisa Kaplan, the center’s director and teacher who works with clay, sculptors and teaching artists Marcus Maria Jung (natural wood) and Emily Scheibal (plaster and cement).
All art trail design proposals will be approved by the Lake County Land Trust.
Rabbit Hill was burned in the devastating Valley fire, and although stark evidence of the fire remains – especially in the form of “terrible totems” of charred gray pines and other evergreens – signs of renewal and regeneration can be seen across Rabbit Hill.
Throughout the walk, Kaplan paused to discuss artistic possibilities at various vantage points. With her practiced skills in looking through an artist's eyes it became evident that at specific spots along the trail your eye is drawn uphill, or out to Middletown's picturesque Callayomi Valley below. At one vantage point, a clear view of the Middletown Trailside Park is in view.
Middletown Trailside Park, also consumed by the Valley fire, was once home of the EcoArts Sculpture Walk and is also being revitalized through the Middletown Art Center.
EcoArts, also called EcoArts of Lake County, was founded by artist Karen Turcotte 14 years ago. To revitalize the park, EcoArts of Lake County is reimagining five acres of the 107-acre park with art in the theme, “Locus.”
Keeping in mind the habitats and soils of Lake County that once inhabited both parks – Middletown Trailside and Rabbit Hill – is a high priority.
Along that vein there was an informative lecture held recently at MAC on the subject, during which resident director Cathy Koehler of the McLaughlin Reserve University of California research station outside of Lower Lake spoke in depth.
During the walk and talk at Rabbit Hill, each turn in the trail presented its own unique perspective for thoughtful ideas to be brought to life here.
Art ideas that may be appropriate to the Rabbit Hill property were bandied about, with everything from totems to honor the mighty gray pines which once thrived here, to a mounted hoop or circle in which the viewer peers across the wide valley to view the sister park that is Middletown Trailside park, to a stone or mosaic walkway to honor the past owners, the Huck and Skee Hamann.
The Hamanns resided here on Rabbit Hill until their deaths, Huck in 1975 and Skee in 1983.
The Hamanns turned Rabbit Hill into a sanctuary to honor the memory of their daughter, Joan Hamann Dole, who was murdered at her Anderson Springs home in 1966.
Huck Hamann ran a lapidary on the hill, creating artistic jewelry with skilled hands. In 1968 Rabbit Hill was deeded to the Madrone Audubon Society, then it came under the care of the Lake County Land Trust in 1999.
Unique perspectives and native plants in the landscape
Dispersed amongst impressive boulders of serpentine, California's state rock, and other unique geologic features, plenty of California native plants have sprung up to reclaim their place in nature on Rabbit Hill.
Here in the shadow of swiftly moving rain clouds you will find hardy leather oaks, which are small scrubby plants holding unique acorns that cover almost half of their seeds- the mighty acorn.
Acorns were a staple food of most California Indians in the past, when they took pains to shell them, mash and leach them to make the food palatable by removing the bitter, naturally occurring tannins.
Other California native plants making their return to Rabbit Hill by taking advantage of the unique soils here include the Yerba Santa, or “blessed herb.”
This shrub belongs to the waterleaf family, and received its moniker from Spanish settlers who, along with California Indians before them, made a tea with the plant. This plant produces a sticky substance on its leaves, along with delicate white flowers which bloom from April through July.
In time, the gray pines will regenerate. This towering tree produces large pinecones with an abundance of pine nuts which were used by California Indians as a food source. Pine nuts were favored due to their delicious flavor, as well as for their nutrition and high calorie count. Pine nuts are a good source of carbohydrates and protein.
Rabbit Hill was once home to distinctive Konocti manzanita, a subspecies of the common manzanita, which is on the California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants. It too, was once consumed by California Indians in the form of a tea.
Many soaproot plants have reappeared on the Rabbit Hill. Soaproot is a low-lying green plant which was used in a variety of ways by California Indians. Soaproot is also called soap plant or amole, and is considered to be one of the most abundant bulbs in California.
A relative of the lily, it is easily identified even without a flower. The leaves are narrow and long with a slightly wavy edge.
Soaproot has been used to make brushes from the brown fibers which cover the bulb. After the fibers were removed from the bulb, they were cleaned of debris, and were fashioned into various sized bundles for sifting acorn.
Soaproot, as its name implies, was used for soap, as well. First, the bulb was crushed, then mixed with water for a foamy, fresh cleaner.
Along with soaproot's many other uses, it was used traditionally to stun fish in a dammed creek, and its bulb was also cooked and consumed.
The toyon shrub grows in abundance on Rabbit Hill. Toyon is a California native plant and is much-loved by many bird species for its bright red berries.
MAC encourages all ideas and welcomes those who are interested in joining this enriching community art project, as well as signing up for one or many of its Restore classes.
The Restore project’s arts classes offered at MAC are low-cost, and offer opportunity to take part in an array of artistic activities which utilize a host of materials and techniques in sculpture, mixed media, printmaking or even creative writing.
MAC's Restore classes in sculpture and mixed media will largely center on implementation of the Rabbit Hill Art Trail. Classes take place most weekends through May.
Visit the Middletown Art Center’s Web site for more information, and learn more about the Lake County Land Trust here.
Kathleen Scavone is a writer and retired educator. She lives in Middletown.