Author: JohnMatel

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Anacostia Community Museum

Taxi drivers don’t know how to get to the Anacostia Community Museum, so if you take a taxi be sure to take a printout of the maps and directions.  There is a shuttle that runs from the Smithsonian museums on the Mall. It is a distinct disadvantage to be so far from the main flagpole, but it was worth the trip.

The Anacostia museum was founded in 1967 as a way to reach out to Washington’s African-American community.  It remains an important priority to be more inclusive and get more people involved in museums.  A museum is not just a place that collects a lot of old stuff.  It is a cultural anchor for a community, a place for education and a place to make connections.   The Anacostia Museum is especially involved in this sort of outreach.

One of their interesting endeavors is the Urban Waterways Project, which aims to help involve communities in the renewal and cleanup of rivers that run through urban areas.  Challenges go beyond the the need to clean up.   The bigger challenge is to get people involved who have little experience with being involved.  An additional caveat is a anxiety that if they make the area too pleasant, it will attract developers who will build luxury apartments or rehab buildings to such an extent that they will become too expensive and drive out the local population.

The ostensible reason I went to Anacostia was to discuss the “Word, Shout, Song” exhibition, which we hope will go to Brazil.  It has been translated into Portuguese and is ready to go, but there are logistical and expense considerations.

What is interesting about the exhibition is not the stuff itself, but the research.  Lorenzo Dow Turner, a linguist who studied the Gullah language of the South Carolina lowlands.  At that time, most people thought Gullah was just bad English. Turner demonstrated the connections between Gullah and West African languages in some grammar and many words.  He then went to Brazil and found similar connections in the Brazilian Portuguese of the African diaspora in the Brazil, especially in Bahia and Pernambuco.  We hope that this common history can create sustainable connections in Brazil.  I am still working for my old post, but also for my assignment.

My picture at top is the Anacostia Community Museum.  Below that are some quilts as part of an exhibit.  The bottom picture shows motorcycles, part of a demonstration that included thousands of bikers showing solidarity on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.  Positive & peaceful demonstrations don’t get much media coverage.

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Air & Space Museum

I am working to figure out where I might be most useful and it is interesting. I went to the Air & Space Museum. It is very popular with overseas audiences. It is very hard to send actual stuff to partner museums and that is a specialty beyond my skill set. But I do understand outreach and we talked about speaker programs along with poster shows. Smithsonian has recently done a poster show on space suits called Suited for Space, about an exhibit of the same name.

Space suits are interesting.  They are made of layers of different metals and plastics and they are bullet proof.  They need this because little pieced of stuff are flying around space at high speed, like bullets.

Another interesting thing about space suits is that they are disintegrating. They are produced of layers of plastics and metals. As the plastics decompose, they produce acid that corrodes the suits.

Early space suits were tailor made for the particular astronaut, but today’s space travelers get their suits off the rack.   We talked a little about the movie “Gravity.”  There are lots of things that are improbable, but one of the impossible things is that an individual cannot just put on or take off space suites.
Of course, there are many other things the museum can produce.  We just need to make the connections.  That is very simple in theory but not easy in practice.

My pictures are mostly self explanatory. You see the Spirit of St Louis.  Charles Lindbergh donated it to Smithsonian with the condition that it never leave.   Lindbergh was the world’s leading celebrity in 1927 after he flew alone in that little plane all the way to France.
Flying across the Atlantic was a really big deal that changed the course of history.  Before the flight, the U.S. was not a leader in aviation.  The Lindbergh flight caught the popular imagination. It is impossible to quantify the effect, but it was significant.
Others were trying to make the crossing.

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Aldie Mill – Loudoun County

Alex is taking some classes in historical preservation & archeology at the NOVA community college.  I have come truly to appreciate community colleges, especially NOVA.  They provide well-targeted ways to prepare for specific careers.  Alex was assigned to visit Adlie Mill, in Loudoun County. It is in the cute little village of Adlie,  maintained in a historical style, very charming.

It was a working commercial mill until 1971. It is working still but now as a demonstration project. They grind corn and wheat to make flour and cracked corn that they feed to animals at their farm.  This is one of the things I think is important about historical preservation, that they maintain the connections.  A mill was not just a place they ground grain; it was integrated into a larger community.  It is the connections that are interesting but they can be lost if we preserve only the isolate physical remains.

The first guy we met was an engineer volunteer who explained the mechanics of the water wheels & mill stones. The water wheel is an overshot wheel, which means that water is impounded by a dam to create a mill pond.  The water is released over  the top of the wheel and turned by gravity. Other wheels run by taping the current in rivers.  They are undershot wheels.  Overshot are usually more powerful, but require the greater investment in dams and ponds.

In the days before steam and gasoline engines – and a while later – industrial operations, like mills needed to be located near fast-flowing water.

The water wheel can turn millstones, saws or anything else that can be hooked up to its mechanical energy.  At Adlie they had both, although only the grist mill remains.
We saw the mill stones. They were imported from France because the stone had a good reputation for being hard and durable.  They shipped the stone in pieces and reassembled them on site. The stones had groves that cut the grain in a scissors fashion; they did not crush the grains. They adjusted the stones to make finer or courses grains.  Adjustments were important: too far apart and no grinding, too close and the stones would bang together knocking pieces of stone into the mix or maybe worse, creating sparks that could set fires in the mills.

Putting in just the right amount of grain was crucial.  Too much would clog the operations and cause it to “grind to a halt.”  Not enough grain would cause the problems mentioned above.  Speed of grinding was also a factor.  Too fast would cause friction and fires.  The miller used all his senses to get it right.  Sound and sight are obvious.  Smell was also important.  The miller would “put his nose to the grindstone” to figure out if things were getting too hot.

They had some reenactors around this weekend. They specialize in people from the Federal period.  One of them told me that there was a need for this. Lots of the physical remains around here were built during that time, but not many people reenact it. Revolutionary times are more popular and the Civil War is the king of hill.  The Federalist period was a time of transition.  It was early industrial transition and a time of rapid growth in the U.S.   There are lots of style choices for reenactors.  They can go with the clothes of the revolutionary period,  more like the Civil War or various combinations.  Transitions are like that.

Among the craftsmen was a guy making cigars.  Tobacco was a big part of early American history, as was alcohol.  This is something that maybe they need to add back into the historical reproduction, at least in the aspect of smells.  Maybe a few farm animals too.

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Food trucks

Food trucks were just starting to show up when I left Washington only a little more than three years ago and most of those were the cheap hot dog stand variety.  They are thick as flies these days, with sophisticated presentations and complicated menus.  They definitely fill a need.  But they present a kind of urban ecological challenge.

The food trucks are like vines.  They don’t build or maintain their own support, but rather depend on what has been built by others and eventually can smother the creators.  They can grow fast and prosper since need not maintain seating, bathrooms or other amenities.  They can pull up or out when conditions warrants.  In other words, they can skim off the best and make a hasty exit when get out when the going gets tough. It is very advantageous.  That is why they can offer lower prices and/or make higher profits.
It is a little counter intuitive.  We want to root for the little guy and certainly we respect their initiative.  But some of these are not really little guys or particularly innovative.
Generally speaking, I am in favor of free enterprise.  But any system of free enterprise has the free rider challenge, with people hopping on the wagon instead of helping pull it.

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In the underground castle

I want to brag that I have an office in the Smithsonian castle. In fact, my office is three stories below ground. It is not so bad, as you can see from the picture. It is kind of like a mall. The sunlight filters in. Much of the Smithsonian is underground. They didn’t want to build up too much and change the look of the Capitol Mall, so they dug down. Also underground are the highways. So while you walk in the gardens or on the grass, the cars are driving below and people like me are laboring, Morlock-like, below ground.

Maybe the word labor is not appropriate. I still cannot believe my good fortune in getting the job. My biggest challenge will be too many great opportunities. I have been there only two days and I am already filling my notebooks with ideas for connections and partnerships.

In my business, we sometime use the unfortunate phrase “hit the ground running.” It is supposed to be a compliment, implying getting right to work, taking charge & moving quickly. I don’t believe in hitting the ground running. When you hit the ground running, you often fall down later. Beyond that, you might be moving fast, but maybe in the wrong direction. I think it is better to land firm, take a look around and decide based on what you see, even when you have a long way to go and a short time to get there. A year is a short time when there are so many possibilities. In this case more than most, it will be a great delight to do the looking around.

My picture up top is outside my office area, a long way underground but well done.  Next is the garden.  I think that my office is more of less under the place I took the picture. After that is the Mall with the Capitol and last is the Ripley Center.  That is how you get to my office, you go down steps and then take the escalator to the bottom.

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Walking in Northern Virginia suburbs

Went for a two-hour walk to listen to my audio book and take advantage of the hot & humid day. I have learned to like humidity.  You sweat, but if you don’t have to wear a suit or sit still it doesn’t matter after a while. And it was a beautiful day, as you can see from the pictures.  Besides, it only got up to about 90, despite weather reports of higher temperatures. Even so, this is one of the hotter days in what has been a cool summer.

I have been walking around this neighborhood since we bought the house in 1997 (and I sure am tired after walking those 17 years :)) There are lots of changes near our house. The whole area has been transformed for the better. We now have a town center with restaurants and a movie theater. I like to be able to walk to these attractions. Near the metro, they are building another complex that will include a Harris Teeter grocery store. I won’t need a car very much anymore.

But most of the place where I was walking are changed less, although there has been a steady knocking down of little houses and replacement with more elaborate ones. It remains mostly a typical Northern Virginia suburb of the 1960s-70s varieties. I cannot tell the age of the houses, although you can guess by the styles. But you can get a reasonable estimate by the size of the trees and the sorts.

Silver maples were very popular during the 1960s and you see lots of mature silver maples in the area. I have come full circle on silver maples. When I was a kid, I liked them a lot. My uncle Ray planted one for me on our hill. It is still there. Then I “learned” that silver maples were not good trees. They were weak-wooded and short-lived. But I have been observing them now for forty-five years. They get big and stay reasonably healthy for at least that period of time. Nice trees but maybe not a great idea to plant them near sidewalks or sewers. The roots seek water enthusiastically enough to break up concrete.

We chose the neighborhood because it was near the Metro and the W&OD bike and walking trail.  These are my roads to work – bike in summer, Metro in Winter. There are other things. Navy Federal CU has its headquarters and a big park-like campus that includes a walkway with boardwalks over the wet places. Above shows the variety of trees popular in the 1960s and 1970s.  From the left, we have the silver maple; in the middle are some Norway maples crimson variety. On the end are some new ginkgoes.  You really cannot see the row of loblolly in this picture, but I have included another at the bottom, with a white pine in the foreground.

I was thinking about what makes a neighborhood nice. Space and parks are nice, but security is most important. There are nice places in DC that have lots of parks, but I would not feel as free to wander lonely. Around here, there is no significant vandalism, no spray paint, and as I walk through the woods I pass lots of other people just walking. People feel safe and that opens all this place to be used.

My picture up top is the new construction around the Dunn-Loring/Merrifield metro.  When we moved to the area, there were some fast food places, a lot of parking lots and a mulch yard.  Supposedly, the town center etc were going to be build in a few years. That was 1997.  Finally, it is happening.   The next picture is W&OD trail, then some new construction replacing the little houses (notice solar panels). Below that are some of those big silver maples I mentioned.  Next is the area around Navy Federal and finally a weeping willow on one of the quiet suburban streets.

My audio book, BTW, was “The Half Life of Facts.”  It is very interesting so far and maybe I will write a note re.

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Background on my new job at Smithsonian


The Smithsonian Institution, established in 1846 with the mandate for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge”, today comprises 19 museums, numerous research facilities, and the National Zoo. The Smithsonian’s collections include over 137 million artifacts, works of art and scientific specimens that attract more than 30 million visitors every year.
The State Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Smithsonian Institution in 2012 to enhance and broaden joint collaboration in a wide range of areas. The Office of International Relations (OIR) in the S. Dillon Ripley Center is the Smithsonian office responsible for managing that collaboration. The State Department provides a Senior Adviser to the OIR.  That person is the principal point of contact and starting point for all interaction with the Smithsonian. The current adviser is John A. Matel – please feel free to contact him at: MatelJ@si.edu or MatelJA@state.gov.

The Smithsonian has a vast and growing array of resources publicly available online. Whether you want to plan an official program or just enjoy the Smithsonian’s unparalleled offerings, the following resources will be of interest:
Smithsonian Web Site – A wealth of information on all that’s happening right now at the Smithsonian.
Smithsonian Education – Collection of lesson plans, online interactive, videos, exhibitions and more for educators, families, and students.
Smithsonian Mobile – A listing of Smithsonian created mobile apps, games, and websites that can be downloaded and used anywhere in the world.
Smithsonian Collections – A searchable database of over 8 million objects around the Smithsonian.
Smithsonian Blogs –  A listing of Smithsonian blogs that showcase activities behind the scenes and complement current exhibitions.
Smithsonian Events – A sortable calendar of all events at the Smithsonian by day; can be sorted by live webcasts.
Smithsonian Virtual Exhibitions – A searchable listing of virtual exhibitions hosted by various Smithsonian museums.
Smithsonian YouTube – Smithsonian channel on YouTube; includes listing of individual museums’ YouTube channels
Smithsonian Folkways Music – Extensive collection of rare recordings of classic traditional and folk music from around the world, including such American artists as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Leadbelly
Smithsonian Libraries – Gateway to the collection.
The Smithsonian Channel – Overview of the Smithsonian Channel’s most recent programming, including content that you can download and use.
The Smithsonian in 3D!
The American Spaces Project – The Smithsonian is also currently developing an extensive catalog of unique content that will be made available to all U.S. diplomatic missions abroad for their use in American Corners, American Shelves, or in other venues.
Research Opportunities – The Smithsonian welcomes students and post-doctoral fellows from around the world. The publication Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study includes all the key information.
This is a PowerPoint prepared by my predecessor.  I will use it until I get familiar with the place.

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Longleaf pine regeneration

Longleaf pine was much more common in Virginia and the South in 1607 than it is today.  It is the classic southern pine and was a prime timber tree in the colonies and was important to the Royal Navy as a source of naval stores (pitch, tar, resin and turpentine).  It is a big and beautiful tree.

But it can be harder to grow because it requires fire to keep a longleaf pine forest healthy.  Fire in forests is less common today.  We put them out when they get near our buildings and roads tend to limit the extent of fires.  Before European settlement, Native Americans started fires all the time.  They didn’t have the capacity to put them out when they got big and with no roads to stop them they burned large areas.  The Native Americans also used fire to spook that animal in hunting and to keep down the population of bugs near their villages.   America was a smokey place. European sailors commented that they could smell the smoke before they saw the coast.

Fire often kills broad leaf trees and brush but southern pine is adapted to it.  The fires were common, but because they were common they tended not to get hot enough to be the disaster we often see today. Longleaf and other southern pine prospered.  When fires were suppressed, the forests became denser, shadier and dominated by other species.  In addition, foresters often prefer loblolly pine to longleaf because it is easier to grow and more developed genetically.  For these many reasons, longleaf is rarer than it was.
There is no chance that longleaf will disappear.  It is not in any way an endangered species.  But it is still a good idea to encourage longleaf. It increases forest diversity and provides an interesting landscape that favors particular wildlife species.

The problem for any mortal individual, me included, is that trees take a long time to grow.  When I plant longleaf today, I can be certain that I will not live to a mature forest.  Of course, everybody is always in that position and if nobody planted trees that he could not personally see mature, nobody would plant any trees.

We put in longleaf on a five acres a couple years ago.   (I plan to put in more longleaf on maybe 50 acres of one of our other farms in 2016, after we clear cut the mature lobolly that is now there.) My friends and neighbors prepared the land burning the land before planting, recreating the conditions the pines need.  You can see from the pictures that some of the pines are doing okay.  I will see in a few years how well they will do.  They are pretty trees, even at the smaller stage.  Loblolly have filled in by natural regeneration.  We will be seeing a mixed loblolly-longleaf forest, much like you might have found in 1607.   I will have to burn under the trees to make it right.  I hope and believe I will live long enough to do that once or twice.  After that, it belongs to the kids.

In my pictures you can see the little longleaf pines. It is hard to see some of them in the grass.  I am not sure how to handle this.  I read that a quick and cool fire will take care of this and it is part of longleaf management, but I want to ask actually fire practiti0ners.  Things on the ground don’t always work the same way the books say they will.

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Tobacco Heritage Trail in Southside Virginia

The Tobacco Heritage Trail (THT) follows an old Norfolk & Southern right of way in Southside Virginia.  We walked about a mile up and back on the part near the CP tree farm in Brodnax.  Besides the location in tobacco country, I didn’t see much sign of tobacco heritage, but it was a great trail.

You can see from the pictures that the trail is well designed with some good infrastructure.  The surface is perfect for running.  I think that next time I go down I will try it out.

When complete, the THT will include 174 miles of trail in five Southside counties. The East Coast Greenway will use 55 miles of the trail, stretching from Lawrenceville to Clarksville.
 

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First tree farm


My first farm is still my favorite.  I have had the pleasure of watching the progress.  The plantation trees, about 110 acres, were planted in 2003.  They were the loblolly super trees of 2003.   New varieties have since been developed, but these are good.  There were also some management benefits.  We did pre-commercial thinning and applied biosolids back in 2008.  I thought that this was good timing.  There is enough fertility in the soil for the first five years because the young forest is living off the decaying brush from the cut.  The biosolids gave the boost when needed in the fifth year.   We can probably do the first thinning early.

2014 was a good year.  It was an unusually cool and wet summer.  I was surprised this morning when I went out and actually wanted to wear a light jacket in the early morning.   This is August in Virginia.   It is supposed to be hotter than this.

The trees have gone through a phase transition this year.  They have now mostly closed the canopy, i.e. they are shading out the lower branches.  You can see the difference now because you can see into the woods.

About a third of the land – 68 acres out of 178 – is contained in stream management zones or other non-commercial uses.  This part changes less.

One thing I have noticed is that there is generally less water in the intermittent streams.  I think this is because the pine trees have grown.  Their branches are intercepting more of the rain and their roots are soaking more of it up.   Nevertheless, it was been wet and you can see the evidence of lots of water.  There is mud and sand pretty far up the hills and even on the little stream, you can see that the water flowed over and around the usual beds.

My top picture shows the trees from one of the food plots, now a bit overgrown.  Right below is the plot when it was first established with clover in 2008. Below that is Genito Creek.   It has a muddy-sand bottom and flows back and forth, undercutting each bank in turn and meandering across a fairly wide area.  Next is my road. You can see the way the water made ripples with the pine needles.  Below are the sycamores along the path. The path is now covered with vegetation.  Finally, the bottom picture shows how the water ran out of the stream bed and over the bank.  This little stream stays where it because the lower bed is solid stone.  This is one of my favorite places.  The water makes beautiful music.