Patterson Park: The Miracle Pond (coming in 2012)
In the fall of 1998, Middleton Evans ventured to Patterson Park’s Boat Lake to investigate a tip that wild Wood Ducks had taken up residence. Sure enough, several pairs were spotted amidst a flotilla of mallards. With great fortune, the woodies readily accepted handouts of bread from park-goers, so close-up photography would be a snap. That fall and early winter, Evans returned to the lake time and again making compelling portraits and dramatic action shots. The lake’s magnetic pull would only diminish when winter’s deep freeze forced all ducks to head south for open water. With hundreds of slides to edit that winter, a new book project was born.
The following summer offered up a wonderful surprise…baby woodies milling about the dense reeds. Over the next three years, Evans documented numerous aspects of the Wood Duck’s life cycle—a dream come true. Other waterbirds thrived at the pond, providing magical moments for the camera just like the woodies. The project expanded when migrating Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers dropped in for a drink. Patterson’s abundant songbirds and attendant raptors were photographed for several years. Nearly seventy species were discovered, an astonishing total for an urban park.
Nature was flourishing in a park not managed for wildlife, but neatly manicured for sports and recreation. More and more people are coming to enjoy recent renovations and programs, but few are tuned in to nature’s bounty lurking in the shadows. Miracle Pond will tell this vivid story of nature’s abundance and Baltimore’s restored city jewel. This oversized coffee table book features nearly 400 photographs of the city’s beloved park.
Contact us to be notified of Miracle Pond’s publication date.