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Snow Happens!

Posted on Monday, February 8, 2010

The Field Station's sixth annual Winter Chipping Party rolled Saturday, Feb. 6, despite the weather. Former Christmas trees and trimmed branches of pine trees were moved along their paths to becoming soil.

This event appropriately validated the age-old quote attributed to the Greek historian, Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BC: "Neither snow, nor rain, nor . . . [add MORE SNOW] stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed tasks" (paraphrased). Coupled with this annual event was a rare event - the official naming of the Robert V. Travis Weather Station at the site.

As all in Western Pennsylvania learned, snow happens. And although we had less of it than other parts of our region, we got a share of winter's grasp on Friday night. Many folks who would have come on Saturday to celebrate with us had to e-mail their best wishes for Dr. Travis. He was in attendance as was Westminster President Dr. Richard Dorman. Representing the Travis family were Bob's son, Jim, and his daughter. Colleagues and friends joined in.

By 9:30 a.m. the driveway of the Field Station and a path to the weather station had been partly cleared of snow and the event began with only three people pushing trees into the chipper. Soon, however, the work force grew. President Dorman, wearing a red L.L. Bean jacket, pitched in and "tree job" was nearly finished by 11 a.m. Then the noisy machine was shut down.

The small crowd, by then nearly two dozen folk, assembled at a bonfire near the fenced-in enclosure to celebrate the unveiling of the sign that denotes in perpetuity the facility as the Robert V. Travis Weather Station. Martha Michalek, class of '91 and a student of Dr. Travis, helped remove the poster that had shielded the sign from public view and Dr. Travis was given a standing ovation (there were no chairs).

Dr. Dorman, on behalf of the College, spoke kind words of tribute to Bob Travis who retired as professor of biology emeritus in 1996. Dr. Helen Boylan, one of Dr. Travis' former students and now associate professor of chemistry at Westminster, e-mailed her accolades of Dr. Travis (she was snowbound in Aliquippa). The group then retired to the Nature Center for the warmth of room, hot chocolate, and more. Kati Edmiston had produced her appropriately named chocolate chip cookies.

Dr. Travis established the weather station at its present site in 1981, just a year after the Department of Biology became custodians for 50 acres of College property to fledge an outdoor laboratory. By his foresight, an electric cable was buried for future needs.

Those needs did not happen until 20 years later when the original wind-up instruments were replaced with electronic gadgetry that required electric power. The original pipe-tower supported sensors and a white weather station box housed the instruments. Today, weather instruments that represent third-generation upgrades include a solar-powered and wireless system that transmits signals to a computer in the Nature Center. Eventually, online weather data will be available to the public. Mechanical chart recorders have yielded to computer software. The "spirit" of the Weather Station, however, has remained - assessing nature and the intricacies of the planet we inhabit.

The day was unusually beautiful once the sun broke through the clouds. The sudden snowstorm could (maybe, should) have resulted in rescheduling the chipping party. That would have been no big deal. The dedication of the Weather Station, however, had to go on. Wouldn't it have been embarrassing to opt out of the dedication of a Weather Station because of the weather? So, we went ahead . . . with kudos to those who made it and regrets for those who couldn't.

Clarence Harms, Director
Field Station

Dr. Robert Travis (l) is congratulated by Pres. Richard Dorman
Pres. Dorman helps pitch pine branches into the chipper
Volunteers wrestle pine branches for chipping from a snow-covered pile