After the tinsel has settled and the last of Santa’s helpers has gone back to the North Pole, it will be time to join Chesapeake Forum for its annual Winter Preview Party on Wednesday, January 8th at the Academy Art Museum, Easton from 3:30 – 6 PM.  The event is free, but reservations are required at https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments while getting a first look at what is coming up at the Chesapeake Forum this winter.   Brief video clips from each Chesapeake Forum teacher will explain what their course is about and what students can expect.  There are a wide variety of subjects on offer from cooking, local history, global events to literature, museum trips, personal enrichment and more.  Classes open for registration January 9th at 7 AM. 

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization that provides lifelong educational opportunities for residents of the eastern shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

As Mark Twain once said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”  That applies to the short story as well – it can take a long time to write one!  Find out what goes into crafting a compelling short story by reading and discussing some of the masters in Chesapeake Forum’s “The Short Story”,  led by Sam VanNest, starting Wednesday, Nov. 6th. 

In the first week, the class will read two different examples of how to frame a story from Roald Dah and Mark Twain.  That is followed in week two with stories told in the first person from Frank O’Connor and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  Finally, the class will examine stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jai Chakrabarti that are narrated in the third person.  Digital copies of all stories will be sent out in advance. 

People who have taken Sam’s classes before rave about him. “Sam led discussions with very effective probing questions to elicit much response. He did not try to lecture or dominate the discussion. He is knowledgeable and comfortable in his role as discussion leader,” a former student commented. 

Sam VanNest graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in ’09 and received an MA in English from University of Oregon, before moving back to Easton in ’14 to write and teach. He was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare neurological disorder, at age 15.

The Short Story is three sessions, Wednesday Nov. 6, 13 and 20th from 10:30 AM – 12 PM. HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM or recording). $40. To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org. Expect to gain a better understanding of what makes a good short story, and hopefully, open new avenues for future reading.  

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Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

Americans are turning away from community and civic life in greater numbers than ever before with important consequences.  Join Chesapeake Forum on Thursday, Nov. 7th for Our Lost Sense of Community, a discussion about the impact this withdrawal has on churches, social organizations, civic groups, politics, governance and more.  

In 2023, a film called “Join or Die” was released.  Its provocative title comes from the work of pioneering social scientist Robert Putnam who found that people who are actively engaged in their communities – whether that’s college, a social club, a religious institution or local sports team – are happier. Ironically, his research also showed that

a majority of Americans currently feel a lack of belonging to their families, friends, workplace, local communities – and increasingly, religious institutions.

Led by Lynn Randle, Chesapeake Forum executive director, and Bruce Purdy, board vice chair,  Our Lost Sense of Community will use the film “Join or Die” and Putnam’s research, as a jumping off point for discussions about whether we have, in fact, lost our sense of belonging and if so, what can be done about it.  That discussion is particularly relevant to any organization that is struggling to maintain members. “Join or Die” will be shown in its entirely during the first session. 

Our Lost Sense of Community is three sessions Thursday, Nov. 7, 14 and 21 from 10:30 – noon HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, ZOOM or recording). $50.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

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Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

Give your creativity free rein in October with several upcoming Chesapeake Forum classes designed to engage your eyes, ears and hands.  First, learn the addictive art of needle felting with Farm Girl Felts on Thursday, Oc. 10th.  At the end of the session, you will have made a beautiful handmade ornament to take home and perhaps gained a new hobby. 

Creating a Felted Christmas Ornament is one session, Thursday, Oct.10th from 9 – 11:30 AM. In person at the Easton Family YMCA.  $45 (covers all materials). To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

The following week, on Tuesday, Oct. 15th, join leadership coach Karin Wiedemann to to create your own unique Vision Board. Karin will show you how to use this tool to as a visual expression of your goals, aspirations, dreams.  It will serve as a reminder throughout the year of what you love and hope to accomplish.   

Creating Your Own Vision Board is one session, Thursday, Oct. 15th from 1:30 – 4:30 PM.  HYBRID (In person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM or recording). $30. To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

 And finally, the wonderful world of Barbershop: An Enduring American Musical Style on Wednesday, Oct. 23rd.  Learn the history of Barbershop, a uniquely American art form. A quartet will be on hand to demonstrate the four voice parts that make up the  barbershop harmony. Find out how music and singing can help raise spirits, ease loneliness and bring joy to dementia patients.

Barbershop: An Enduring American Musical Style is one session, Wednesday, Oct. 23rd from 10:30 AM – 12 PM. In person at the Easton Family YMCA. $20.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents of the Eastern Shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

Who doesn’t want to stay strong and mobile as they age?  Join Chesapeake Forum for Healthy, Mobile and Active at Any Age on Wednesday, September 18 to learn how to stay healthy and maintain an active lifestyle no matter your age.

This course, designed and delivered by Drs. Chris and Julia Cianci, will focus on the integration of holistic wellness practices to promote longevity and vitality. Through an interactive session, you will learn practical techniques and strategies to enhance your physical health, prevent age-related issues, and maintain an active and fulfilling life.

Learn how you can limit the effects arthritis has on your life and how strong legs can prevent shoulder problems. Discover a natural approach to pain relief, enhancing immune function, and improving quality of sleep. With a blend of clinical knowledge and simple health tips this course aims to equip individuals with the tools and insights needed to thrive at any age.

Healthy, Mobile and Active at Any Age is one (1) session, Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 10:30 AM – Noon.  HYBRID (In person at the Easton. Family YMCA, ZOOM or recording). $20.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

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Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents of the Eastern Shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

US Navy’s Role in the Civil War

Did you know that the United State’s fledgling Navy played an important role in the American Civil War?  Learn how the Navy helped the Union cause during the Civil War and about the leadership of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles in the Chesapeake Forum course, US Navy in the Civil War, starting Sept. 10th from 1:30 – 3 PM.  

This course will trace the development of both the oceangoing, as well as the river fleets, the enlightened leadership of Welles and others, along with the manufacturing prowess of the Union that developed and built the warships and met the disparate needs of the military.  

Instructor Mickey Terrone is a lifelong student of the Civil War. He recently taught a course at Chesapeake Forum on the border states, including Maryland. He is a past president of the Civil War Round Table of Washington, DC.

US Navy in the Civil War is three (3) sessions, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 17 and 24 from 1:30 – 3 PM.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM or recording).  $40.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

Join a Monarch tagging project, learn to stay mobile at any age, find out what edible plants are growing in your back yard or keep your mind sharp with Mahjong. It’s all coming up at Chesapeake Forum in the second half of September. 

Kicking things off is Monarch Migration Magic.  Join Pickering Creek naturalists to learn about monarch habitat, migration cycle, lifespan and how to help them in your backyard or community on Monday, Sept. 16 from 10:30 AM – Noon. $30. In person at Pickering Creek Audubon Center, 11450 Audubon Lane, Easton, MD (21601). To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org. 

Monarchs aren’t the only things on the move at Chesapeake Forum – you can be too! Find out how to limit arthritis, reduce pain naturally and build a strong immune system from Drs. Chris and Julia Cianci on Wednesday Sept.18 in Healthy, Mobile and Active at Any Age from 1:30 – 3 PM.  $20.  HYBRID. To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org. 

Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated when it comes to getting your valuable financial and personal information.  Learn how to protect yourself with Avoiding Crafty Security Scams on Wednesday, Sept.18, 25 and Oct. 2 from 10:30 – 12 PM.  HYBRID. $40.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org. 

You are probably familiar with using common herbs like basil and parsley to spice up a dish but did you know that squash blossoms and certain lilies can also be used in cooking?  Cookbook author Katie Barney introduces a world of new culinary possibilities in Edible Plants on Friday, Sept. 20 from 10:30 – noon.  In person at the Easton Family YMCA. $30.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org. 

Get your brain in gear with Mahjong!  This ancient Chinese game is a great brain buster with proven benefits for memory and cognitive function. Plus, it’s fun! Sharpen Your Mind with Mahjong is eight sessions, Sept. 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13 from 1:30 – 3 PM.  $70.  In person at the Easton Family YMCA.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org. 

And finally, join Chesapeake Forum’s Books with Friends, a casual monthly get together to read and discuss favorite books.  All meetings take place on Zoom and the course is free although registration is required.  Books with Friends is Sept. 26, Oct. 24 and Nov. 21 from 1:30 – 3 PM.  Free.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org. For September, the group is reading The Wager, by David Grann

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Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

 

Chesapeake Forum goes airborne this fall with rockets, birds and butterflies all on the schedule.  Classes begin September 4. Registration opens August 21. Here’s a peak at what’s up the first two weeks. You can find more details at https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Since 2001, Poplar Island has grown into an important stopover for more than 260 identified species of birds and nesting habitat for 38 of them including the Bald Eagle, Osprey, Short-eared Owl, American Oystercatcher, Glossy Ibis, Snowy Egret, Least Tern, and Common Tern.  Learn about Poplar Island’s history and its success in Autumn Birds of Poplar Island, two (2) sessions, Weds., Sept. 4, 10:30 AM – 12 Noon.  HYBRID (in-person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM or recording) and Sept. 11 9 AM – 12 Noon, FIELD TRIP to Poplar Island from Tilghman Island dock. $30.  Register at https://cheapeakeforum.org.

Raymond Vergne, MD is back for a deep dive into the circumstances, attitudes and events leading up to the succession of Confederate States in 1860-61. The Winter of our Discontent is not a discussion of the Civil War or Slavery.  It will focus on the process of succession and how this came to happen in our young republic. The Winter of Our Discontent: Secession & Disunion is six (6) sessions, Tues., Sept. 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8, 15 from 10:30 AM – 12 Noon. HYBRID (in-person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM, or recording). $60. Register at https://cheapeakeforum.org.

One surprising factor in the Civil War was the role of the US Navy played under the leadership of Navy Secretary Gideon Welles.  Find out how Sec. Welles’ decisions helped shaped the beginning of the modern Navy and had an important impact on the Civil War. US Navy in the Civil War is three (3) sessions, Tues., Sept. 10, 17, 24 from 1:30 – 3:00 PM. HYBRID (in-person at the Easton Family YMCA, via ZOOM, or recording). $40. Register at https://cheapeakeforum.org.

Join us at Phillips Wharf Environment Center in Easton for the story of the Blue Crab.  At the end, we will cook, pick and eat the bounty! If you’ve never picked a crab before, this is a great way to learn.  The Blue Crabs of the Chesapeake Bay is one (1) session, Weds., Sept. 11 from 1:30 – 3 PM. In person at Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, Easton. $30.  Register at https://cheapeakeforum.org.

Visit Wallops Island, an active spaceport and research facility on Sept. 12. Learn how rockets are prepared, processed and launched. Meet with scientists and engineers preparing experiments and vehicles for missions. Wallops Island was involved with the early stages of America’s space program including the first test launches of the Mercury capsule that later sent Alan Shepard and John Glenn into space from Cape Kennedy. Field Trip to Wallops Island Rocket Launch Facility is one (1) session, Thurs., Sept. 12 from 8 AM – 4 PM.  FIELD TRIP.  Meet at Easton Firehouse, 315 Leonard Rieck Drive, Easton. $70. Register at https://cheapeakeforum.org.

Join us for a field trip to the Neall House, Mary Jenkins House, and the Catherine Valliant Hill Research Center in the heart of the Easton Historical District.  Learn how to conduct your own research at the Hill Center; experience life in Talbot County as it was in the 1800s by exploring the furnished Neall home; gain knowledge about the life and times of the African American community through historical artifacts, voices and visions of 11 Talbot County churches and more.  A Walk Through Talbot County History is one (1) session, Fri., Sept. 13 from 1:30 – 3 PM.  In person at the Hill Research Center, 25 South Washington St., Easton.  $20.  Register at https://cheapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

Poplar Island is known throughout the world as a singular and continuing ecological and economic success. Join Poplar Island outreach educator Kristina Motley and Chesapeake Forum on Wednesday, Jun 5th to learn how dredged material is being used to restore habitat on this critical Chesapeake Bay island AND keep the port of Baltimore open to shipping. 

Motley will explain the concept of “beneficial use” in Poplar Island: An International Model of Innovative Reuse with a classroom session on June 5th and a Field Trip on June 10th. Learn about Poplar Island’s unique story and continuing habitat successes. Find out how the beneficial use project, started in the 1990s, relies on dredged material collected from the approach channels to the Baltimore Harbor to restore lost remote island habitat within the Chesapeake Bay.

The project partnership between Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland Port Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Maryland Environmental Service has been in place for over 20 years and has seen the restoration of almost 400 acres of wetland habitat. Upland habitat and additional wetland habitat are planned and the island is slated to be completed in the 2040’s. Over 400 different species of wildlife have been documented and over 30 different birds have been confirmed as nesting onsite.

Kristina Motley is a Senior Environmental Specialist (SES) with the Maryland Environmental Service (MES), where she has worked on the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island for four and a half years. As an SES on Poplar Island, her work is focused on outreach, including conducting in-person onsite tours, offsite lectures and events, school programming, and online content creation

Poplar Island: An International Model of Innovative Reuse is two sessions, Wednesday, June 5th from 10 – 11:30 a.m. and a FIELD TRIP on Monday, June 10th from 9 a.m. – noon. $30. To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents of the Eastern Shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].