• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to footer navigation

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE
Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

  • Home
  • About
    • Platform
    • FAQ
      • How does Ethical Culture make a difference in society?
      • What social life is there in Ethical Culture?
      • How is Ethical Culture religious?
    • Ethical Brew
    • Ceremonies
    • Philosophy
    • Constitution & Bylaws
    • Contact Us
  • Ethical Kids
    • Sunday School
      • Primary Class
      • Elementary Class
      • Junior Class
      • Senior Class
      • Sunday school FAQ
    • Youth Group
  • Leader
    • Leader Curt Collier
    • Leader’s Talks
    • Joe Chuman, Retired Leader
      • Talks by Dr Joseph Chuman
      • Speaking of Ethics: Living a Humanist Life
      • Wedding Officiant
  • Social Action
    • All Social Action Articles
    • Battling Racism
    • Environmental Action
    • Healthcare
  • Adult Education
    • Accountability Circle
      • Anti-racism
      • Gender Explorations
    • Conversemos
    • Job Club
    • Socrates Cafe
    • Open Mic
    • Mindfulness Mediation
    • Ethical Culture Review of Books
  • News
    • President Column
    • UN Report
    • Platform Addresses
    • Member News
  • Events

As I See It: Chilly Afternoon Offers an Exhilarating Lesson

January 27, 2022

By Jim Norman

         As daylight grows noticeably longer with each rising and setting of the sun, I feel a sense of relief with the passage of yet another winter. Maybe it’s too soon to say for sure, but I feel the weight of darkness and icy weather falling away, and I wake up each morning feeling just a bit more optimistic than the day before. Until I read the newspaper, of course, but that’s another story.

Photo by Susan Lesh

         And I find that the older I get, the more I take pleasure in learning new things.

         A few weeks ago, Ginger and I joined some intrepid Ethical friends for a relaxed ramble through part of the Greenbrook Sanctuary, a wonderful private woodland operated by the Palisades Nature Association in Tenafly and Alpine.

         The feeling of privileged exclusivity as we open the padlocked gate at the entrance is a bit of a guilty pleasure that might seem somewhat anathematic to the inclusive principles of Ethical Culture, but really, it’s just private enough to safeguard the area for those with an enhanced appreciation for unsullied natural surroundings.

         At 60 bucks a year for a family membership, it’s an exclusivity that most of us can afford, and even better, share with friends to spread the pleasure.

         A network of trails, well-maintained and clearly marked (“blazed,” in the parlance of woodland cognoscenti), criss-crosses the 165-acre preserve, leading up a gentle climb from the entrance on Route 9W to the edge of the Palisades, high above the Hudson River. A wooden split-rail fence provides a safe handhold for folks who want to venture onto the rocky outcropping for the best views of the river and the wooded precipice down from the top.

         It was a chilly day in the mid-20s, and the paths were dusted with light snow and icy patches in places, so for the most part we stayed well clear of the drop-off as we walked along Path C.

         So, what new thing did I learn?

That first robin sighting

         For most of my nearly 80 years I have looked forward with great anticipation to the first sighting of a nice fat robin each spring, hopping around the garden in search of a juicy worm or slug to pull out of the newly thawed earth.

            I have always assumed that robins were biologically programmed to skedaddle out of northern New Jersey each fall, migrating to warmer southern climates where the worms stayed delectable (for birds, anyway), until the weather warmed up in the spring.

            Well, guess what? It turns out that the ruggedly individualistic robins turn communal in the cold weather, and any migration is no further than the nearest available food source, usually a holly tree loaded with bright red, ripe berries. These summertime carnivores turn downright fruitarian when the cold weather hits.

As exciting as Bigfoot or Loch Ness Monster

            And there they were, oblivious to cold temperatures and happily gorging themselves in the tangled foliage of a large holly tree, right at the edge of the parking lot of the Greenbrook Sanctuary. Susan Lesh, one of our frostbite crew that day, was able to get a nice picture of a few robins in a tree next to the holly. For me, it was as good as getting a photo of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster, except this was for real.

            And now, I know where robins go in the winter. For me, it’s a source of exhilaration when another false assumption falls by the trailside.

Jim Norman is president of the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County.

Primary Sidebar

Recent News

  • Planet & Progress Team Now Hiring Youth Age 15-22
  • Have a Seat! New Meetinghouse Chairs Will be Comfy and Attractive
  • Let’s Increase our Society’s Relevance by Meeting Younger Generations Where They Are
  • Leader’s Vision: Innovative Programs and New Income
  • Meet New Member Gerry Migliore

Sign up for our newsletter.

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

Ethical Brew

Being White And Its Hidden Assumptions

Film Screening, ‘Contradiction: A Question of Faith’

About Us

Ethical Culture was founded to focus on community and good works, rather than personal salvation. Read more…

Archives

Footer

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Connect with Us

Address: 687 Larch Ave, Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: 201-836-5187
Email: [email protected]

Sign up for our newsletter.

 

Recent Posts

  • Planet & Progress Team Now Hiring Youth Age 15-22 June 4, 2023
  • Have a Seat! New Meetinghouse Chairs Will be Comfy and Attractive May 30, 2023
  • Let’s Increase our Society’s Relevance by Meeting Younger Generations Where They Are May 30, 2023
  • Leader’s Vision: Innovative Programs and New Income May 23, 2023
  • Meet New Member Gerry Migliore May 21, 2023
Our Society’s Covid-19 Guidelines

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

Topics

atheism atheist church book review children church-state separation civil rights climate change community compassion death democracy Doris Friedensohn Elizabeth Warren environment Ethical Brew Ethical Culture ethical education ethics family Felix Adler gender global warming happiness healthcare humanism humanist humanists human rights Israel Joseph Chuman meetinghouse Middle East politics racism religion Robert Gulack Secular Humanism social action Socrates Cafe Sunday School transgender Trump unemployment world health youth

What We Do For Fun….

There's always time for play: celebrations, discussions (some in Spanish -- find Conversemos on our calendar), hikes, picnics, cultural outings, and more. Come join us!
Kids get into the act
Diane running the show

Important Links

  • Member of the American Ethical Union
  • Ethical Brew
  • Sanctuary Committee
  • BC Gun Violence Prevention
  • NJ Website Designer
© 2023 | The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Copyright © 2023 · Kreativ Pro On Genesis Framework · The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County · Log in

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE