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… and pies, basket frames, rope, and tea, as well as many other things.   It is one of the earliest trees to flower around the Conway Public Library. It graces the entrance to the library park and has a very interesting history.  One of its many nicknames is Shadbush.  The "Shad" reference is from the historical era when immense schools of migratory shad fish returned in April to New England rivers, just as the "Shadbush" bloomed. Other nicknames include serviceberry, sarvis, juneberry, saskatoon, wild-plum and chuckley pear.     One naturalist suggests this native tree has so many different names because people in New England appreciate the beauty of the earliest flowers so much more at winter's end! But equally beautiful are the stories and folktales that have been associated with this tree for hundreds of years. One story is that the first settlers in the New England area often planned funeral services at the same time that the tree bloomed. Its blo...

x For example, this is a bug, an Emerald Ash Borer to be specific. The study of insects is called "Entomology." This bug has a starring role in an exhibit that we at the Conway Public Library's Henney History Room helped with and loaned items for.  Entitled Of Baskets and Borers: The Past, Present, and Future of Indigenous Basketry in the White Mountains , the exhibit runs from June 1 – September 14, 2024.  The exhibition explores the past, present, and future of Indigenous basketry in the White Mountains region. As a museum about a place, their exhibitions seek to present stories about the people, plants, and animals of our region. In this case, they will be exploring the intersection between Indigenous basketry, brown ash trees, and the Emerald Ash Borer. FMI on the exhibit follow this link here . This blog is about insects, but also about words and language. The study of words is called "Etymology."  Most of the items lent by The Conway Public Library's H...