FACES of HOPE - OF GLASTONBURY
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SPRING 2021: D es ti n ati on B a c k y ard | Minor ity-ow ne d Bus ine s s e s | Pickl e b a l l ! | D e nn is House
O F G L A S T O N B U R Y®
SEASO N S O F G LA STO N BUR Y®
S PEC IAL
F EAT U RE:
FACES of
HOPE
®
SP RI NG 20 21
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Moving forward with
hope and healing.
Thank you for standing together with our 33,000 colleagues during the COVID-19
pandemic — caring for us as we cared for our communities.
From the hearts that graced your windows and doors, to donations of meals and supplies,
to drive-by salutes from our first responders, your generosity of spirit kept us focused as we moved
forward. As we pass the first year of this pandemic, we pause to remember those we’ve lost,
to celebrate those we’ve saved, and to embrace the emerging horizon of hope and healing.
Together — with tremendous gratitude to our healthcare heroes everywhere —
we will achieve a bright and fulfilling future that is better than normal.
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S easons’ Greetings
®
Welcome to Spring 2021. Although we don’t
know what is in store this year, I think it is
safe to say goodbye forever to 2020 – for so
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many reasons. So much loss of life. So many
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businesses struggling and so many people
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much negativity. So welcome 2021 and all the
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promise a new year brings. We really need Facebook.com/SeasonsMedia
you to come through; it’s your year and we
are counting on you.
You probably have noticed our cover is a little Seasons of Glastonbury®
Jim Tully different than the typical beautiful, seasonal is published by Seasons Magazines
James P. Tully, Owner/Publisher
photos we usually run. With this issue, we felt
Creative Director
it was important to say thank you to the true heroes of the pandemic: our
Stacy Wright Murray
Connecticut front-line workers in all walks of professional life. We spoke
Editorial Director
to many of them and asked them to share their struggles, their stories and Carol Latter
their hopes for the new year. We asked them: what keeps you going,
Sales & Marketing Executive
showing up to work each day? And what gives you hope in 2021? I think Doreen Chudoba
you will find their responses insightful, powerful and hopeful.
At Seasons, our goal since our premier edition in 2006 has been and For advertising information please
remains the same: Tell the reader a story. Over the years, that has always contact Jim at (860) 413-2022
been our guiding philosophy, and in this edition we take our readers from jim@seasonsmagazine.com
Seasons Media, LLC
their kitchens to their backyards, to pickleball courts and around the world. PO Box 92
West Simsbury, CT 06092
I’m proud to announce that, beginning in April, we will launch a new show,
“Seasons AT HOME,” which will air on WTNH News 8 every Saturday in
April, at noon. This continues our recent trend of growth, including the
launch of Connecticut VOICE magazine and our “Connecticut VOICE Out
Loud” show, and we are thrilled to share it with you.
We feel very fortunate and thank our great advertising partners; they make
Seasons Media possible.
All of us at Seasons wish you and your family a happy and healthy 2021.
Jim We want to tell our readers
James Tully stories about the interesting
Owner/Publisher people and places in our
Seasons Media, LLC beautiful state. It’s that
simple. – JIM TULLY
4 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021
Spring
SEASONS of Glastonbur y ®
2021
A little flower that blooms in May.
A lovely sunset at the end of a day.
Page 6. Someone helping a stranger along the
Health & Wellness way. That’s heaven to me.
Dr. Richard Soucier of
Saint Francis Hospital Page 34. –SAM COOKE
and Medical Center. Innovations in
Health Care
Page 11. UConn’s new Brain Page 60.
Adventure and Spine Institute. Sports Page 73.
A Connecticut Feeling sour about life Business
photographer shares Page 38. on the couch? Play Minority-owned
memories of her globe- Perspectives pickleball! businesses navigate
trotting exploits. Dennis House offers the pandemic with
his take on the Page 66. ingenuity.
Page 20. pandemic. Home
Feature Destination Backyard. Page 79.
Spotting invasive Page 42. Final Thoughts
species before they Delicious The shame of
“spot” you. Making fresh spring convenience.
rolls ... with a twist.
Page 28. Page 50.
Cover Story
Essential workers share Entertainment
their hopes for the Connecticut stages
future. pivot to survive.
Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021 5
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Dr. Richard Soucier
D
By MARGARET M. BURKE / Photography by STAN GODLEWSKI
r. Richard Soucier, who prefers to be failure shortly after delivering her baby (peripartum cardio-
called “Rick,” grew up in Manchester, myopathy). This young woman was placed on a transplant
Connecticut, the fourth in a family of five list for a new heart but died about six months later, before
children. His interest in medicine was receiving one.
sparked by his two older brothers, who “That brought me back to the helplessness I felt when my
were both physicians. He set his sights Mom died from pancreatic cancer because heart failure is
on attending Bates College in Maine at age 10 when one of the cancer of cardiology,” says Dr. Soucier. He knew then
those brothers allowed him to sleep on his dorm room floor that he wanted to focus his career in cardiology on car-
during a Parent’s Weekend visit. ing for patients with heart failure. In 2011, the American
He went on to attend Dartmouth Medical School in New Board of Internal Medicine recognized Advanced Heart
Hampshire, followed by a three-year residency in internal Failure and Transplant Cardiology as a subspecialty within
medicine and a three-year fellowship in cardiology, both the practice of cardiology. Dr. Soucier became board
with the University of Connecticut. The residency was a certified in 2012.
combined program that included providing care to patients
at John Dempsey, Hartford, and Saint Francis hospitals. CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE
Clinical time during his cardiology fellowship was split In the early years working as a cardiologist at Saint Fran-
between John Dempsey and Saint Francis. cis, Dr. Soucier cared for patients with an array of cardiac
Upon completing his medical training in 1997, Dr. diseases but he continued to gravitate toward those with
Soucier wanted to stay in the area to be near family. He had heart failure. Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable
spent considerable time during his residency and fellowship to adequately pump enough blood and oxygen to support the
at Saint Francis Hospital and valued the sense of community body’s needs. There are many reasons this can occur, includ-
he felt there. Dr. Soucier recalls, “During orientation for ing damage to the heart from an infection or a heart attack.
my job, one of the things they taught us was to make sure The disease is usually categorized according to severity of
you say ‘Hi’ to people in the hallway. I just love that.” Dr. symptoms into four classes (I-IV or A-D) from least to most
Soucier worked as a cardiologist at Saint Francis for nearly severe. If the disease is not well controlled, patients may
20 years before taking a position with another institution. eventually require a heart transplant or die from the disease.
He recently returned to Trinity Health Of New England in a The risk of dying from heart failure increases with each
new role. class, which is why “even in patients who are relatively as-
ymptomatic, it is a significant disease that needs aggressive
INSPIRED BY TRAGEDY management,” Dr. Soucier explains.
Two key events influenced the direction of Dr. Soucier’s ca- According to the American Heart Association, ap-
reer. The first occurred just before he headed off to college, proximately 6.5 million adults in the U.S. currently live
when his mother was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic with heart failure. It is a life-long disease. The therapy is
cancer. She died six months later, in February of his fresh- intensive, requiring significant diet modifications, many
man year. “That kind of clinched it. After that I said, ‘I’ve medications and, sometimes, procedures. The goals of these
got to do something to help people.’ So originally, I was go- therapies are to improve a patient’s quality of life and slow
ing to become an oncologist,” he reports. However, once in progression of the disease. This requires significant and
medical school, he was fascinated by the physiology of the ongoing education and support of the patient and family.
heart and by the end of his first year of residency, he knew Because of this, Dr. Soucier says, “You get really close to
he wanted to pursue cardiology as a specialty. patients and their families. I really love it.”
Then, toward the end of his cardiology fellowship, he Early in his career, he identified an inequity. “The oppor-
cared for a young woman who developed severe heart tunities for patients in hospitals that don’t have a transplant
6 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021
A SKILLED PHYSICIAN WITH A BIG
HEART: Dr. Richard Soucier works
closely with patients and families to help
improve each patient’s quality of life and
slow the progression of the disease.
Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021 7
program are a lot different than for patients who are in hospi- medications at the correct doses. The work is in identifying
tals with transplant programs. I didn’t like that.” barriers to optimal care and overcoming them.
Dr. Soucier, along with others, worked to improve this The current pandemic has, of course, also presented chal-
by helping to grow his hospital’s heart failure program, lenges but Dr. Soucier notes that it has revolutionized care
which became The Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute. in certain ways that, in the long run, will make it better for
This program stands apart. Whereas many programs focus both the patient and the care provider. Telemedicine visits
the majority of resources on the sickest yet small number of are more convenient for
patients, the Hoffman Institute’s focus is on the larger num- patients and overcome
ber of patients with early heart failure, to prevent symptom National data show multiple barriers associat-
progression. poor adherence to ed with a traditional office
This focus is evident in several ways. Care is provided by guideline-directed visit, such as a need for
an interdisciplinary team (doctors, nurses, advanced prac- therapy for certain transportation or childcare.
tice providers, dieticians) specifically trained in managing groups of patients These virtual visits have
heart failure. Emphasis is put on applying guideline-directed actually given Dr. Soucier
with heart failure
therapy – having patients on the right combination of medi- more access to patients
cines at the optimal doses – both in the hospital and when
results in just 1 and insight into their liv-
the patient is discharged home. Patients are provided with percent receiving the ing situations. Combining
ongoing education and support. right medications at video chats with the use of
The care team makes all attempts to prevent a patient the correct doses. advanced home monitor-
from needing hospitalization, including offering those with Says Dr. Soucier, “My ing equipment – and the
worsening symptoms a “same-day access program” where ability for patients to send
job is to try to figure
they may be treated with more aggressive therapy, such as an data and answer symptom
out programs to help questionnaires electroni-
intravenous medicine, as an outpatient – without having to
visit an emergency room. move that needle cally – has enabled him
When patients do require hospitalization, there is a dedi- from 1 percent to way to better identify which
cated floor for their care, staffed by those knowledgeable in above 1 percent.” patients truly require an
the care of heart failure. Saint Francis Hospital does not per- in-person visit.
form transplant surgeries but the program maintains a close
affiliation with Yale New Haven Hospital. Patients who do A RETURN TO SAINT FRANCIS AND TRINITY
require a heart transplant have the actual surgery performed HEALTH OF NEW ENGLAND
at Yale New Haven Hospital. However, except for the two Dr. Soucier returned to Saint Francis as the Cardiovascu-
weeks immediately around the surgery, care is provided by lar Service Line Lead Physician in August 2020. In his
The Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute. new role, he is responsible for organizing and overseeing
all of the cardiovascular services in the Trinity Health Of
ADVANCES AND CHALLENGES IN New England network, which includes Saint Francis, Saint
HEART FAILURE CARE Mary’s, and Johnson Memorial hospitals in Connecticut, as
In the last 20 years, the options for medicines that treat well as Mercy Medical Center in Massachusetts.
symptoms of heart failure have greatly expanded. National His time is split between providing direct care to patients
evidence-based treatment guidelines have been developed to and his administrative duties. He has enjoyed returning to
assist clinicians in providing a proven consistent approach to patients that he cared for at the start of his career. His goal
treatment. There have also been improvements in the design is to expand access to award-winning care for people with
and utility of devices used to monitor symptoms and assist heart failure and other cardiac diseases across the region by
the pumping of the heart. These devices are getting smaller expanding the model used at The Hoffman Heart and Vascu-
and easier to implant. The pairing of technology with these lar Institute and across the Trinity Health Of New England
devices to communicate their findings to the care team has network.
also helped to streamline care. Lastly, the incorporation of And that’s not his only goal. When it comes to optimiz-
palliative care as a component of heart failure management ing medication use for people with heart failure, Dr. Soucier
has been very important to meeting patient and family needs. says, “My job is to try to figure out programs to help move
In Dr. Soucier’s opinion, the greatest challenge today is that needle from 1 percent to way above 1 percent.”
getting therapies that have been shown to improve the out-
come of heart failure and other cardiac diseases to all the pa- Margaret M. Burke, Pharm.D., BCPPS, is a freelance
medical writer with more than 25 years of clinical pharmacy
tients who can benefit from them. He cites national data that
experience, including board certification as a pediatric
indicate poor compliance with guideline-directed therapy. pharmacotherapy specialist. She lives in Manchester.
The guidelines suggest that a certain category of heart failure
patients should be taking a combination of three medicines. Stan Godlewski is an editorial, corporate and healthcare
The data indicate that only one out of 100 – or just 1 percent photographer based in Connecticut and working primarily
of these patients – are actually prescribed the right three between Boston and New York City.
8 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021TrinityHealthOfNE.org
Dear Cardiovascular Team,
Last October, you performed surgery on my dad, Paul. Just days before, he
hadn’t been feeling well. You discovered he had an aortic root aneurysm
and scheduled surgery right away.
You fixed my dad’s heart…and I want to thank you with all of mine.
—Donatella Mancinone
At Trinity Health Of New England, our approach to cardiovascular care includes getting to know you
for the person you are, not just the conditions you have. We learn what’s important to you, as well as
your risk factors and lifestyle.
As the regional leader in cardiovascular care, we are committed to achieving exceptional outcomes.
We treat conditions ranging from the simple to the complex, providing customized treatment plans
aimed at helping you live your longest, best life.
Learn more about Trinity Health Of New England Cardiovascular Services at
TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Heart.
SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL • MERCY MEDICAL CENTER • SAINT MARY’S HOSPITAL
JOHNSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL • MOUNT SINAI REHABILITATION HOSPITAL
TRINITY HEALTH OF NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL GROUP
Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021 9S EASONS
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10 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021ADVENTURE
The Circle of Life
A fte r e x p lo r in g th e w o r ld fr o m p o le to p o le ,
o n e w o m a n d is c o v e r s h e r g r e a te s t a d v e n tu r e
W
By ANNA ZUCKERMAN-VDOVENKO / Photography By EYE ON THE WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY
hat’s the dog ments when we didn’t know what might
doing outside?” happen next. We ran aground several
my daughter times on tropical reefs but always got
inquired oddly off, flew in aging helicopters over the
one Connecti- Arctic sea during whiteouts, spent the
cut Christmas night bobbing about in a small inflat-
morning as she gazed out the window able lost in the Bering Strait, discovered
adjacent to the sparkling tree. ancient shipwrecks in the Pacific, and
“No, wait,” she added, turning around damaged ship propellers the size of
to face our Bernese Mountain Dog laz- Volkswagens due to thick ice, forcing us
ing by the fire. “The dog is inside. But to replace them at sea.
then, what is THAT on the lawn?” During our landing operations, my
A sleepy black bear (whose presence team was usually sent ashore with the
was previously unknown to us) glanced photographers who had booked trips to
groggily up at the commotion in the bay get the shots they needed for commercial
window above, then immediately turned purposes.
tail, retreating hurriedly into her lair just
underneath the crawlspace of our shed. It ON THIN ICE
appeared that we were going to become In the Russian Arctic, for example, head-
the curators of a hibernating female pre- ing to the geographic North Pole, our
paring her den to cub. And I thought my GRIN AND BEAR IT: Polar bears cavort on ship’s helicopter landed a small group
days of adventure were well over! sea ice in the Russian Arctic as the Russian on a polar ice sheet to watch icebreaker
The last time I stared out a window icebreaker Yamal explores the area.
Yamal plow through the ice at full speed.
into the eyes of a bear, it was from a After all, she was the newest and most
porthole on a Russian nuclear-powered high-tech icebreaker in the world at
icebreaker in the frozen Arctic Ocean. Not many where I live in the beauti- that time, and we had internationally
The polar bear dashed towards the ship ful Farmington Valley know much about acclaimed photographers from magazines
over the solid pack ice with great curios- my past. Before becoming a Connecticut and award-winning documentary film-
ity, so the captain slowed the vessel down “soccer mom” (and had never even heard makers to please.
to a standstill, allowing it to approach. of that demographic, frankly), I’d been After dropping us off on the pack ice,
Luckily, my porthole was in the right leading a completely different kind of the helo took off to prevent capsizing the
place at the right time, and this noble lifestyle. floe with its weight. We were left alone,
white denizen of the Arctic, with dark As a young woman, I worked as a pho- floating on a white expanse of frozen
eyes and pristine white fur, got up on tographer and expedition coordinator for ocean. But the photo session was short-
his hind legs and stared straight into an eco-tourism company that sent a team lived, as the speeding Yamal was just too
my poised Nikon with charming curios- to “faraway places with strange sounding forceful when breaking apart the jumbled
ity. There were several thick inches of names,” as the song goes. From Antarc- six-foot-thick pack ice. Her wake created
Russian steel between us, but the bear’s tica to the North Pole, up and down the broad cracks in the ice; snaking vessels of
broad face was just inches below my tributaries of the mighty Amazon, and blue seawater appeared much longer than
wide-open porthole. As he sniffed the threading through remote islands in South anticipated, like a scene out of the ani-
delicious smells coming from the ship’s Pacific waters, our staff led tourists on mated film “Ice Age.” The floe we stood
galley and seemed to exhale with joy, his adventures all over the world, on small on began to crack up before our eyes.
breath fogged the wide-angle lens, for at cruise ships, for more than 15 years. Instinctively, we dashed over the
that range, who had need for a telephoto? Our days were filled with many mo- dancing “bergie bits” – leaping rapidly,
Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021 11A FISH-EYE VIEW: Photographer Anna Zuckerman-Vdovenko, owner of Eye on the World Photography, captured a unique perspective of a barbecue on sea
ice at 90 degrees north (the northernmost point on earth, also known as the geographic North Pole). The photo was taken from the deck of the icebreaker
Sovetskiy Soyuz with a fish-eye lens.
scanning for thicker ice. I radioed for brood patch just below their feathery berg – a wide, flat sheet of floating ice
the chopper to come back immediately. breasts. that can be as large as a city block or
The Russian pilots returned posthaste but En route to shore, whales often play- even as big as the state of Rhode Island.
needed to hover while hoisting us in, for fully targeted Zodiacs in the polar chan- When the frozen ocean waves roar
fear of breaking the solid ice where we nels, tossing their flukes while dousing against its sides, a thundering crash of
stood. visitors with their fragrant exhalations unspeakable magnitude impresses the ear.
In between all of the passenger drama, smelling of krill and salt water. Far- Circumnavigating the vast Antarctic
nature in her purest state pressed upon ranging wandering albatross sporting continent, at times we traveled 10 days
our souls, touching us with her primor- six-foot wingspans glided noiselessly at sea with no landings, but it was worth
dial allure. overhead during long days at sea, giving it to seek the most coveted prize of all
During each Antarctic voyage, the rise to serious debate amongst ornitholo- – the emperor penguin. Alighting with
most important rite of passage would gists onboard as to which is far superior, a helicopter on a pastel blue ice shelf,
always be an encounter with the first the penguin or the albatross? Leopard passengers hiked for miles in the searing
iceberg. Our red parka-clad globetrotters seals lounging on icebergs searched for cold to reach the breeding grounds of
lined the railing at the bow to witness this penguins to hunt, and smaller, freshly these elusive birds.
spectacle, marveling wordlessly at deep calved icebergs from glaciers floated by Emperors are undoubtedly the most
turquoise blue veins of dense ice bedeck- in resplendent blue pageantry. magnificent – and the largest – of all 18
ing the monolithic sculptures hewn by Antarctic passengers are often privy to penguin species, standing well over three
the Southern Ocean. an awe-inspiring specimen – the tabular feet tall and weighing 50 to 100 pounds.
In Antarctica, after the usual rough
landings in the surf by the Zodiac, our
staff would guide passengers over the
rocky beaches to the edges of the penguin
rookeries. There, we set up cameras from
a distance and trained them on downy
chicks riotously crying to be fed as their
patient parents took turns regurgitat-
ing krill. The smell of penguin guano,
while odiferous to most, became most
endearing to my senses because it was
associated with astronomical numbers THAT FILLS THE BILL: A
wandering albatross on South
of the fetching birds dashing about like Georgia Island enjoys a cushy
little people in tuxedos. Mature penguin resting spot as it ponders
its next meal, during a rare
parents would carefully nestle unhatched appearance on land. With the
eggs or sometimes hug tiny chicks on largest wingspan of any bird,
their feet, holding their young close it can remain aloft for hours at
sea without flapping its wings.
within the ample folds of their muscular This species mates for life.
12 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021Searching for krill, they are capable of ing together in large circles, endlessly – the passage of young males into adult-
walking 70 miles during the polar night practicing their mating moves in prepara- hood – cavorted at night in large ochre
to the open ocean from their breeding tion for the real thing. and red painted, top-heavy masks while
grounds, as well as diving 900 feet to fish enveloped in flaming bonfires.
for their supper. As our ship’s penguin IN HOT WATER Each year, the Asmat people on the
expert liked to say: “They don’t know Our tropical adventures were just as mag- remote southern shores of Irian-Jaya
that’s impossible, so they just go ahead ical – and, most often, equally dramatic. welcomed our small fleet motoring to
and do these things anyway.” Searching for the 12-foot-long, fero- the mouth of their shallow river home.
Ghosts of characters from the Great cious “Komodo dragons” endemic to the These strong men stood proudly upright
Age of Exploration during the early part Indonesian island of Komodo (but hoping 10 to a canoe, barreling out of the jungle
of last century seem to run across the not to have too close an encounter), we tributary and poling rapidly down the
murky stage of Antarctica. Visiting the often glimpsed these behemoths dashing river, chanting relentlessly to impress the
huts of Ernest Shackleton and Robert across our path, hunting for goats that flotilla of invading Zodiacs.
Scott on the continent, we could walk in- were frequently sacrificed by locals to Clad in war paint and feathered head-
side a time machine of sorts. Everything keep the lizards at bay. dresses, they knew how to create a scene
the famed explorers left behind is care- These rare carnivorous creatures are fit for a Hollywood film. Some men
fully preserved as if they had just headed endowed with sharp teeth and long, wore wild pig tusks, others six-inch long
out on their quest for the Pole. forked tongues that project far outward curlicue shell carvings stuck through
Perhaps the place I loved the very most every few seconds when hungry – per- their ponderous nose cartilage, a fierce
was the enchanting island of South Geor- haps looking like fire to the imaginative accessory designed to intimidate. In the
gia in the South Atlantic, a far-off mysti- and giving rise to the name “dragon.” village, as a sign of hospitality and deep
cal land that was once home to a whaling We warned passengers to stay on the trail respect, nursing women holding infants
station where cetaceans were once so between the guides, for there had been lined the muddy pathway adjacent their
plentiful that the men rarely had to leave true stories about their voraciousness. stilt huts, offering their breast milk to
the bay to catch their annual quota. One obstinate European passenger from passengers as refreshment, yet polite
The whalers are now all gone, of a different ship went off the beaten path refusals were graciously accepted with
course, and nature has had the last laugh. against all advice. He simply disappeared broad smiles.
All that remains are the graves of brave within hours, and all that was ever found Certain tropical islands we called
explorers, including Shackleton himself, of him were his Leica binoculars. upon forbade the use of modern technol-
nestled below razor-sharp mountain We prepared our passengers with ogy in order to preserve their traditional
peaks blanketed with ice blue glaciers lectures about science and anthropology culture. On Ifaluk, a coral atoll of four
and hemmed by green tussock grass. given by onboard scholars so that nothing islands in the central Caroline Islands in
King penguins breed along the shores of would shock them, and no cultural mis- the Pacific Ocean nation of Micronesia,
South Georgia in plentitude so dense that understandings could ruin the visit. we witnessed a flotilla of handmade
the beach seems to be comprised of an Natives in remote places like Irian- canoes maneuvering homespun fishing
array of bright orange, gray, and white Jaya, the western half of New Guinea, nets across their large lagoon. It would
feathers instead of sand. It was here that hinted of tales involving revenge canni- be an extravaganza where the bravest
Shackleton landed after his illustrious balism between warring tribes. In Papua, men trapped schooling tuna the way the
shipwreck, followed by nine months of the eastern side, fire dancers partaking in ancients had always done.
camping on pack ice and an 800-mile rituals that marked – among other things Maintaining their courage, they
open boat journey seeking help to
rescue the remainder of his men on the
sea ice.
As if to ensure the sanctity of the
place, nasty fur seals dash out from
behind the tussock mounds at hikers,
barking and threatening to bite anyone
who gets too comfortable on their turf.
These fur seal sentries were perhaps the
most frightening of all creatures we en-
countered in the 15 years I spent at sea.
The elegant wandering albatross,
meanwhile, know that remote South
Georgia Island is the best place to breed
and nest, so here many reside when not
at sea. Accessing the trail to observe
these regal birds that choose their mates
for life, we viewed them with their
WHALE OF A TALE: The crew and passengers of the Society Explorer observe as a passing whale “throws a
chicks and watched the juveniles danc- fluke” in the Lemaire Channel off Antarctica.
Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021 13CORAL COLORS: A diver explores the diversity of the
reef in the South Pacific. Photo by Jack S. Grove.
14 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021chanted songs while pulling the net in leaned out over the bow and grabbed the Murmansk, Russia, the largest town
closer and closer. A few men with rip- caiman with bare hands, lifting the reptile above the Arctic Circle. There, our staff
pling muscles and dressed in bright blue directly into our boat. It began thrashing climbed up the gangway to board the
loin cloths swam adjacent to the net to wildly from side to side. Hapless pas- most powerful nuclear-powered icebreak-
assist, but it was clear that one wrong sengers scooted rapidly out of the way er in the world, the Sovetskiy Soyuz,
move could result in being torpedoed by towards the stern. Just then, disturbed by a 480-foot long, 75,000-horsepower
the speeding tuna as they darted wildly, the night’s commotion, a giant hoplias monster that could cut its way handily
right and left, en masse. aimara (Amazonian wolf-fish) and a char- through 12-foot-thick sea ice for as many
When the net tightened into the final acidae (dog-fish) leapt from fear out of miles as necessary in order to reach 90
circle, it had gone from the diameter of the water into the boat, their gaping jaws degrees north. Such voyages to the Pole
a football field to that of an extra-large opening and closing, frantically gnash- took about eight days one way, truly a
Hula-Hoop. The fittest and wildest of ing anything that got in their way. They “Polar Express” if there ever was one.
islanders enthusiastically jumped out of projected piercing, curved teeth far more After shuddering like a train on uneven
their canoes at that moment and each impressive than those of the pirañha. tracks through the aquamarine sea ice
reached over the rim of the net into the Suddenly, our boat was nightmarish churned from ship’s hull, our passage to
silvery haul, grabbing a tuna with a single mix of naked ankles, whipping tails, and the Pole was successful.
bare hand. In a display that was gruesome sharp teeth. It was suggested that we ei- On that first of 12 subsequent North
but somehow no worse than a Netflix ther throw our quarry back into the water Pole trips, I met my husband, the ship’s
Original, these powerful fishermen immediately, or try to calm the caiman Russian doctor who had spent about
plucked the heart out of the gills and ate it down, then decide what to do next. two years devoted to being the onboard
raw while the others chanted deafeningly A seasoned naturalist saved the day, surgeon during the long winter voyages
in unity, acknowledging such bravery. holding the caiman’s jaws shut firmly to isolated regions of the Soviet Arctic,
Topless women in grass skirts be- with one hand while expertly tossing the where surgical operations were some-
decked with plumeria flowers danced sharp-toothed fish back into the river. We
times unavoidable. He spoke very little
happily on the beach, welcoming the then flipped the caiman over and I began
English, and at that time, I did not speak
canoes back to the village for the feast to pat and stroke its tummy because I had
any Russian.
ahead. On trips like these, our passengers read somewhere in a fairy-tale that this is
Don’t ask me how, but we ended up
learned what it meant to be open-minded a soporific for crocs. To our amazement,
in Connecticut, raised three kids, and as
ambassadors who respected the culture of my technique worked and he felt asleep
I tossed in my adventure travel towel, I
their hosts. almost immediately, lying across my
morphed into a soccer mom who now has
When asked about my most memorable knees like a contented lap dog.
to dodge Simsbury’s black bears instead
expeditions, certain legendary stories When we got back to the ship’s
of polar bears.
come straight to mind. gangway, still floating in our boats, we
Regardless of all these adventure travel
There was my first time in the Amazon innocently lifted up our six-foot caiman
experiences, for me, parenthood IS the ul-
cruising on board the World Discoverer, to show it to the other Zodiac groups.
timate expedition. You could say I’m glad
when our Brazilian guide declared we Aghast, our guide held up his 12-inch-
long caiman, sheepishly explaining that that after 15 years at sea, running around
would be searching that night in Zodiac
boats for caiman – a South American this was the size we were supposed to in a boiler suit as “one of the guys,” I
crocodile. be going for. The reptiles were safely finally became a landlubber residing in
The narrow tributaries were ablaze returned to their habitat after naturalists the Farmington Valley.
with winking fireflies as dusk arrived, and studied them for a short time. Adventure awaits here too, for those
pink river dolphins played in our wake. who look for it. Not many people can
As darkness fell, we were instructed by NEW ADVENTURES claim that a litter of black bear cubs was
our guide to cast our flashlights out upon Not long after our divemaster discovered born in their backyard, crying and mewl-
the calm inlets and pluck one reptile out a shipwreck on Ducie Atoll in the Pitcairn ing through the winter nights.
of the water with ungloved hands to bring Island group and we raised the anchor My own three “chicks” are all away
back for observation and study. of the sailing vessel Acadia for its safe at college right now, and as I come to be
We heard brazen whoops and hollers return to Bounty Bay, a Telex came to thinking about the frenetic energy and un-
from other boats in the darkness, then our ship. The main office asked our team predictable ups and downs in the remote
taunts coming over various walkie-talk- to go aboard a Russian icebreaker for its destinations visited many years back, one
ies, asking us teasingly why we hadn’t maiden voyage to the geographic North could say that parenthood isn’t much dif-
caught a caiman already. Before the hunt, Pole with tourists who would be guests ferent from a crazy penguin rookery.
no one mentioned that we needed to make aboard a ship normally used to keep the In the strange path of life’s adventure,
sure the space between the caiman’s eyes shipping lanes ice free in the Russian sometimes, everything really does come
was less than two fingers wide, so we Arctic. A joint venture expedition for full circle.
dashed up to one sizable fellow whose tourism between businesses in the USA,
red shining eyes were spaced far wider Russia, Australia, and Sweden seemed Anna Zuckerman-Vdovenko is a
apart than a human fist. too good to be true. Farmington Valley based portrait
One young naturalist, new to the crew, That following summer, we flew to photographer and writer.
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16 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021SPONSORED CONTENT
Riding the Wave
How to best navigate this wildly changing real estate landscape
By TERESA M. PELHAM
H
ome prices are up. Interest home doesn’t appraise at the purchase with them. I also work very hard to
rates are down. And today’s price are all ways to set your offer apart educate my clients about the market
uber-competitive seller’s from the rest. I also help sellers figure and what to expect, and really try to
market means the rules have out creative ways to purchase a home get them to a place where they’re
changed. That’s where Dawn Gagliardi, without it being contingent on selling ready to jump as soon as they see a
a licensed Realtor with The Corrado their current home, such as taking out home they love. This includes making
Group in South Windsor and West a home equity line of credit (HELOC) sure they’re fully pre-approved with
Hartford, comes in. Here, she offers or bringing a larger amount of cash to one of my preferred local lenders,
some advice for buyers and sellers alike: the closing. All of this, combined with getting their paperwork in order ahead
of time, and having them check out
neighborhoods and towns in the very
beginning stages so they know exactly
what areas they want to be looking in.
All of this, combined with my extensive
knowledge of different markets in
Connecticut, have helped me get my
clients into their new homes quickly
and with as little stress as possible.
Q: Do you think more people will be
comfortable listing their houses once
we can see the end of the pandemic?
A: I don’t know how long it will be
until things go back to “normal,” but I
absolutely see more and more sellers
feeling comfortable with the idea of
listing their homes and having potential
buyers and agents coming in and out.
Historically, spring has always been
the hottest time to sell your home for
Q: How do you advise sellers who working with a respected and well-liked many reasons: the weather getting
know that once they sell their home, Realtor like me, is key to getting your nicer, the days getting longer, and just
they might have trouble finding offer accepted in this market. a general desire for change that comes
another property? this time of year. But especially now,
A: Despite this crazy market, I’ve Q: How do you balance home life after everyone has been cooped up for
still been able to find great homes with work life as a Realtor? It must most of 2020, I think this spring market
for my sellers. Right now is such an be tough since people often want will be busier than ever, with so many
amazing time to sell and get the most to see houses at dinnertime and sellers deciding now is the time to make
money possible for your home, but on weekends. the change and get top dollar for their
it’s challenging because the interest A: Being a wife and mom of two girls homes. Realtors have really been able
rates are so low and many people are under the age of 5 as well as a full-time to adjust to the needs of clients in this
looking to purchase, and there’s limited Realtor definitely has its challenges. trying time and have implemented
inventory. When working with sellers My weekends are always packed with safety precautions (such as mandatory
who also need to buy, I make sure that showings and listing appointments, masks, booties, and gloves at showings),
I set the expectation that every home so I’m really lucky to have a super which has kept both buyers and
is going over asking price with multiple supportive husband and amazing sellers safe.
offers, so they have to be prepared to parents/in-laws who always step in and
come in with a very strong purchase help with the kids. I also have the most
price. But besides just price, many amazing clients who realize that eating
sellers are looking at the terms of the dinner with my kids and being able to
incoming offers. put them both to bed most nights is
very important to me, and they respect
Q: What can buyers do to present a my family time. That being said, if a
more favorable offer, given that so client really needs me or a deal is on
many people are often competing for the line, my family understands that
the same house? Mommy has to hustle for her clients.
A: As I mentioned, focusing on the
terms of the offer in addition to the Q: Are you spending a lot more time
price is really key in getting offers with buyers these days because
Call today for a free consultation
accepted when there are multiple they’re not as likely to get a house
offers. Things like purchasing “as-is,” when multiple offers come in? or market analysis.
Coldwell Banker / The Corrado Group
having flexibility with closing dates, A: My track record of getting my buyers’
putting down large deposits, and offers accepted is really solid, so I’m not Dawn Gagliardi
offering to cover the difference if the spending any more time than usual 860.644.2461Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021 19
FEATURE
Space Invaders In v a s iv e p la n ts a n d in s e c ts h a v e
t a k e n u p r e s i d e n c e i n t h e Nu t m e g St a t e
By JOEL SAMBERG
Y
ou may not be in love with Which is precisely why Bray and other
pitch pine trees, with their Connecticut researchers urge the rest of us
weirdly curved trunks, to report sightings of insects and plants that
twisted branches, and needles we may not have seen before. No one wants
that can only be described as the Constitution State to become the Invasive
messy clumps. On the other hand, they are State.
inoffensive, part of Connecticut’s rich natural Currently, there are about a hundred
environment – and happen to be in grave relatively new invasive plant species and
danger because of a newly invasive insect in just under a dozen from the insect world
our state called the southern pine beetle. here in Connecticut. We’re already dealing
Armies of southern with climate change, global warming, the
pine beetles are capable need for cleaner energy, and other social
of destroying pitch pine and environmental concerns, so taking on
trees. the responsibility to be “invasive detectives”
“ iven the high may be a bit of a tall order for the average
number of beetles citizen, considering that few of us have either
collected last fall, and the time or training to do it well. But if we
the relatively mild care about the aesthetics of our gardens and
winter, we’re expecting parks, and the health of our birds and bees,
a higher population of then at the very least we should remain aware
southern pine beetles and contact the right people when we suspect
this spring,” reports
something is amiss.
UNDER ATTACK: This pitch pine tree, Alicia Bray, an associate
For example, pitch pine trees have
which has been invaded by southern professor of biology at Central Connecticut
an ability to ooze resin in a not-always-
pine beetles (Dendroctonus frontalis
State University, and one of dozens of
Zimmerman), oozes resin in an often successful effort to entangle the nasty insects
professionals who track and study invasive
futile attempt to surround the deadly before they lay their eggs. So if you want to
pests before they lay their eggs. plants and animals across the state.
help protect our pitch pine population, go out
Photograph by James R. Meeker of “When their populations are high, they are
and look for some resin globs, which look a
the Florida Department of Agriculture
capable of mass attacking healthy pine trees,
and Consumer Service, USDA Forest bit like popcorn.
overwhelming their defenses, and causing
Service.
ust what makes a species invasive? In
their death. What’s more,” she adds, “they
Connecticut, these are plants that are not
have the potential to also attack the red pine
and the scotch pine, which could have a native to the state and have the potential
devastating effect on native animals that use for widespread dispersion and growth. For
these trees for food and habitat.” insects, while there are no official criteria,
it’s basically a bug that is non-native, is
20 Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021making its way around, and most of Spotted Wing Drosophila. This pest
all has potential to cause ecological or was first identified in 2011 by Richard
economic harm. Cowles, an entomologist with the
By and large, plants in our own Connecticut Agricultural Experiment
gardens, parks, and walkways are fairly Station (CAES) in New Haven.
easy to keep an eye on, and even remove. “Colleagues subsequently detected its
With insects, it’s a different story. For arrival a few weeks later in northern
one thing, even in our own yards and New England, coinciding with Hurricane
greenways, we can’t just tell them to Irene,” Cowles explains. “The winds
leave. For another, we have to be careful undoubtedly blew these tiny flies along
what we try to annihilate because, on the coast.”
balance, insects are very important to our It took just three years for the spotted
ecosystem. We don’t want to upset or wing drosophila to invade growing
inadvertently destroy the good ones! regions across America. It has impacted
the ability of farmers to successfully
INTERESTING INSECTS grow fruit, especially raspberries,
Many insects provide nourishment for blueberries, strawberries, and peaches.
our own food sources, pollinate trees, Unlike similar fruit fly varieties, this
and return nutrients to the soil when one, which originated in East Asia, can
they break down dead and decaying lay eggs inside fresh fruit, and it takes
material. The Connecticut Science Center just a few days for the fruit’s skin to
in Hartford is even devoting an entire wrinkle and crater. Uncontrolled, the
week to the ubiquitous little creatures spotted wing drosophila can destroy at
from uly 21-28, while UConn Extension least 80 percent of a single harvest.
hosts its sixth annual Bug Month event,
virtually, in the same month. Spotted Lanternfly. This is our newest
iven that more than half of all life invasive insect, though its population
on Earth is comprised of insects, it’s no is still relatively small. “It can have
surprise that from time to time a species devastating effects on our fruit crops,”
or two invades our own little corner of warns Alicia Bray. The adult spotted
the planet. Here’s some data about a few lanternfly is about an inch long and
of the more egregious. has large, multicolored wings, with
black spots. It is native to China, India,
Emerald Ash Borer. According to state and Vietnam. Entomologists call it a
researchers, this worrisome species was “hitchhiking bug” that lays eggs almost
found in Connecticut in 2012, and has anywhere during its travels, including on
since spread to all towns in the state, patio furniture and cars.
killing ash trees in its wake. Aptly
named, this green beetle produces larvae Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. The hemlock
that feed on the inner bark of ash trees, woolly adelgid, which is native to Asia,
impacting the flow of nutrients needed is an invasive, aphid-like insect that
to keep the tree alive. Experts say it attacks North American hemlocks.
probably made its way here on ships These little bugs can take advantage of
and airplanes carrying wood packing the two species of hemlock trees found
material. So far, it has killed hundreds of on the East Coast because the trees have
millions of ash trees in North America. not evolved any defenses against them.
“The basic approach taken by “Hemlock trees can grow up to 140 feet
biologists is early detection,” shares tall,” Cowles says, “but can be killed in a
James Cowen, a soil and wetland few years by an abundance of these one-
scientist in North Stonington. “Can we millimeter-long insects.”
control it and limit its spread?” Researchers say the hemlock woolly
Cowen doesn’t provide a definitive adelgid probably made its way here from
BRUTAL BEETLES: These pitch pines in
answer to his own rhetorical question, Connecticut have been invaded by the southern
botanical specimens planted in Virginia
which merely emphasizes its seriousness. pine beetle, which is native to the southern U.S., 70 years ago. Hemlock trees typically
The loss of ash trees reduces vital habitat Mexico, and Central America. Mature beetles are provide habitat for many other species,
and allows undesirable invasive plants to dark reddish-brown, with slightly lighter wings. so the dispersal of these particular
Photos courtesy of Alicia Bray, associate biology
fill the gap. professor at Central Connecticut State University. adelgids has dramatically affected the
ecology of forests where hemlocks
Seasons Magazines • SPRING 2021 21used to be abundant. What’s more, they
Turn ‘em in!
remain inactive for much of the growing
season and attach themselves to hosts in
the colder months – when no one really
wants to be outside looking for them. So you want to report an Emerald Ash Borer or Common Mugwort, or
The insects mentioned here represent find out more about them? Here are some places you can turn to:
just the tip of the invasive bug iceberg in Many towns have land trusts – nonprofit organizations that own and manage
Connecticut. There are dozens more. land and work toward the protection and conservation of natural resources. You
can find a partial listing here: www.ctconservation.org/findalandtrust.
The Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (https://cipwg.uconn.edu) has
PESKY PLANTS
been sharing information for 25 years about invasive plants affecting Connecticut
Not to be outdone, there are 97 individual
lands. Membership includes state, federal, and local researchers, gardeners,
species of invasive or potentially growers, educators, and concerned residents.
invasive plants in the state, most of The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (https://portal.ct.gov/CAES),
which are prohibited to be bought, sold, established in 1875, was the first of its kind in America and today is a state agency
transplanted, or cultivated here. The chartered to investigate plants, insects, soil, and water. It has several satellites,
invasive ones include: including the Insect Information Office in New Haven, the Valley Laboratory
Information and Diagnostic Office in Windsor, and subgroups for invasive aquatic
Phragmites. Also known as the common plants, mosquito surveillance, plant disease information, and tick testing.
reed, phragmites first came to America in The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or
the early 19th Century – as seeds hidden DEEP (https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP) works toward conserving, improving, and
protecting our environment and natural resources. It was created in 2011 with the
in the soil used for ballast in ocean-
consolidation of several state and local agencies.
crossing ships. Once here, phragmites
The Connecticut Entomological Society (www.ctentsoc.org) was founded in
developed into an aggressive perennial 1949 as the New Haven Entomological Society, and today promotes the study of
wetland grass that easily overtakes native insects statewide by encouraging the exchange of ideas and experiences among
plants and displaces native animals. It its members and the public.
has fluffy seed-heads, which makes these UConn Extension (https://cahnr.uconn.edu/extension), part of the university’s
reeds exceedingly easy to see. But that College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, works on dozens of
doesn’t mean they’re easy to control. environmental, health, and societal issues with partners across the state.
They’re not. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health (www.invasive.org) lists
information on, and pictures of, Connecticut’s invasive plants and noxious weeds at:
Japanese Barberry. This is an attractive www.invasive.org/search/action.cfm?q=connecticut.
National Invasive Species Information Center (www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov),
species with many cultivated varieties
part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bills itself as “the gateway to invasive
often used in landscape design. It is
species information, covering federal, state, local and international sources.”
adorned with yellow flowers in early
spring, and pretty green or burgundy
leaves. Birds eat their tiny red fruits.
“It is also a very adaptable shrub that
grows well in everything from full sun consulting business that deals with other tick-borne diseases.” The plant is
to dense shade,” says Todd Mervosh, a invasive plants. invasive but not prohibited.
scientist formerly with the Connecticut “The problem, however, is that Native to China and apan, the
Agricultural Experiment Station in barberry thickets have been found to Japanese barberry was introduced to U.S.
Windsor, who now runs TM Agricultural harbor higher populations of ticks, gardens as an ornamental shrub a century
Ecological Services, a Suffield-based which leads to greater risk of Lyme and and a half ago. “In addition to the tick
issue,” Cowles adds, “it outcompetes
other shrubs, and the spines on its twigs
prevent browsing by deer. That’s how it’s
able to take over.”
Common Mugwort and Tansy
Ragwort. These are two other bad actors
on the invasive plant stage that many
Connecticut botanists put on their short
list of troublesome plants. The common
mugwort, which is invasive but not
prohibited, is particularly pesky because
it is able to grow well in nutrient-poor
soil. But the tansy ragwort, a biennial
Tansy Ragwort wildflower, can be far more problematic
because of its effects on people and
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