WALT FEST celebrates the Bard’s birth, connects the “Whitman Woods” dots

LAUREL SPRINGS, New Jersey — WALT FEST will unfold in this tiny Camden County Borough from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on June 2, the first Saturday after Poet Walt Whitman’s May 31 birthday. The Good Gray Poet, born in 1819, was famously fond of the charming Victorian town. It was here that he summered during the twilight of his life, and it was from its environs that he drew inspiration for much of his iconic poetry and “jottings in the woods.” In addition to an art show and Whitman poetry, the annual free festival will also feature site visits to historic Whitman Stafford House and Crystal Springs Park (by way of a complimentary trolley), the latter location honors Whitman with a unique, verse-inscribed boardwalk rimming wetland marsh. This little spot was a favorite of Whitman’s for the palliative effects of the mud baths he enjoyed taking here. A few blocks west of Crystal Springs lies aspirational “Whitman Woods,” an open space project whose higher elevation will afford wide views of Laurel Lake (Timber Creek) and public lake access, as well as time-worn walking trails lined by old growth stands of beech, black walnut and poplar. Safeguarding these privately owned woods from development and preserving them in perpetuity is a goal shared by many “Springers” (as the locals are known), countless Friends of Whitman Woods Project and North American Land Trust, the site’s intended steward (nalt.org). WALT FEST attendees are invited to visit “Whitman Woods” between noon and 4 p.m. to gain a better understanding of why this parcel is so uniquely worth preserving. Friends of Whitman Woods will conduct nature walks and answer project questions. (Entry to the lakefront site is by foot at the terminus of Glen or Beech avenues. Visitors are advised to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.) Setting aside these 3.75 wooded acres in the otherwise built-out town presents an organic opportunity for the greater Delaware River Valley community to help North American Land Trust establish a passive park in the very area where Whitman penned much of his powerful, enduring work (Specimen Days and significant additions to Leaves of Grass). The joy he took in walking the banks of Laurel Lake and the beauty of the woods, lake and springs was also described effusively in letters to his friends. Forging a cultural/conservation Whitman legacy will pay homage to the immortal poet whose words so eloquently celebrate Nature. May 31, 2019, will mark the 200th anniversary of the Bard’s birth. Endowing the park in advance of that milestone, and dedicating it as part of the regional bicentennial festivities, is the project’s near-term goal. Anyone with a love of Whitman can attend WALT FEST. Anyone with a love of Whitman, Open Space and Nature can become a stakeholder in the “Whitman Woods” project at whitmanwoods.org where it is easy to Give, Volunteer or Pledge. Similarly, one can learn more about the project at nalt.org.

“Whitman Woods” Mission: Distill art, nature, history and science into a living land legacy that will preserve precious passive open space in perpetuity, serve as an open classroom and pay homage to the iconic American poet Walt Whitman.

Media contact: Elizabeth Smith, projectmanager@whitmanwood.com, 305.632.5611