Date: 1/10/25 9:40 am From: Grove, Deborah Shuey <dsg4...> Subject: The Day We Took President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Birdwatching
Some people wanted to know more about the details of our morning with the Carters. I just sent this article to our local newspaper .
The Day We Took President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Birdwatching
By Deb Grove
On Memorial Day 2005 we took the Carters birdwatching at Alan Seeger and Bear Meadows Natural Areas in Rothrock State Forest in Huntingdon and Centre counties. How did it happen? I read an article by President Carter, “The Remarkable Rio Grande Valley”, in the September/October 2004 issue Bird Watcher’s Digest.
I knew that he and Rosalynn had been coming to the Harpster farm near Spruce Creek for many years for fishing and relaxation. In fact, Harpster met Carter in 1978 when a member of the Spruce Creek Rod and Gun Club invited him to come and fish. I decided that they needed to see some Huntingdon County birds. So I stuck my neck out and sent him a letter.
In the letter to the Carters I mentioned that he was very close to great birding in Huntingdon county and that we had 23 species of breeding warblers. Then I forgot about it. So I was really surprised when I got a call from the Carter Center telling me that the Carters were interested! A decision was made to come on Memorial Day May 30, 2005.
In preparation I can’t remember the details of us being checked out but I do remember the scouting trip with the Secret Service agent to Alan Seeger Natural Area and other sites that we would be visiting. We arrived at the area and walked the trail through the rhododendrons and beyond on the spur to Detweiler Run valley.
On the way we talked about what we would be doing and he was really surprised when he found that his phone did not work deep in Rothrock Forest. One more thing to work out.
After he dropped me off, he told me he had to go to each hospital in the area which included Mount Nittany in State College, Lewistown Hospital, and Blair in Huntingdon.
Before the date we would be getting together, I scouted Alan Seeger Natural Area, a site nearby where Northern Goshawks had nested, and Bear Meadows Natural Area. In particular, I was looking for Canada Warblers, Black-throated Blue Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Blackburnian Warblers, and Hooded Warblers among others. Of course, I had birded in the area many times so I was fairly confident of finding some of these species.
The morning came and my husband Greg, son Lewis and I drove to the Harpster farm, arriving about 5:30 am. And there he and Rosalynn were! Off we went back over Tussey mountain, the fourth and last in line following big black SUVs. We went to Alan Seeger Natural Area not far from our home at McAlevys Fort. No one was out to see the little convoy.
At Alan Seeger we were introduced to the Carters and went off down the trail. The main bridge was broken from floods and with some of the boards missing. A Secret Service agent offered to help the Carters, Rosalynn at 77 years and the President at 80, but they declined assistance. The Secret Service agent who had driven me to check out the area had said that she was the better at fishing and could scramble up and down the banks of a creek.
So far, no sounds from the expected Canada Warblers, usually at the beginning of the trail.
It was about 46 degrees, very cold for a Memorial Day, and likely the reason for the lack of bird activity. The cold stayed with us along the rest of the trail with few of the expected birds moving or singing.
Our visitors did enjoy the Rhododendron tunnel and the old hemlocks lining the trail. (When we moved to McAlevys Fort in 1985, there was still a 1000 year old tree standing and another close by on the ground, now long gone).
We finally emerged on Standing Stone Road with depressingly few birds in a place and an area where there should have been much activity and bird song. President Carter spent a lot of time talking to Lewis about what he did, including his degree in Nuclear Engineering, and telling him about some of his own experiences. He mentioned his book “An Outdoor Journal: Adventures and Reflections” and said he would send Lewis one. And one arrived not long afterward.
We crossed the road to the spur to Detweiler, hoping to find one of the Hooded Warblers usually in that area. Nothing. We did see someone coming down the trail towards us and it turned out it was one of the Secret Service men who had circled around to check out the area. Then one of the others motioned to Greg and pointed whispering… Yes it was a Dark-eyed Junco! Finally a bird!
Then we went on up to Bear Meadows where we finally found a Hooded Warbler, a new bird (a “life-bird”) for them and Rosalynn was happy. There was also a colorful drake Wood Duck on a limb of a dead tree with a hole behind it. President Carter regretted not bringing his camera and remarked about what a beautiful bird it was.
At one point a van drove past, the only vehicle we would see, and if the driver had looked to his left, he would have seen Carter with his famous grin standing less than a yard away. Rosalynn then declared that she was really cold (in fact, she appeared to be shivering!) and wanted to go back to the farm and sit in front of a fireplace and warm up. I wanted a photo of us, but how do you ask? Then President Carter said How about a picture? Of course!
So ended our Birding Trip with the Carters. Up until then, I had been calm about the whole experience but after they left, I suddenly felt butterflies. We left the area and went to the Waffle Shop in State College to warm up and talk over what had just happened.
Few of us get a chance to spend time with our heroes but when we do, the experience soars high in our memory.
A special thanks to my husband Greg Grove for helping me remember the details of our morning and edit this story.
