INTERVIEW WITH JOHN W. ABBUHL

John W. Abbuhl is the builder of Pine Hollow Arboretum. He has been busy this spring adding new trees to the collection but I was still able to sit down for an interview with him one day before he "disappeared." I've been told that unless you keep him in your sight at all times he will not be there when you turn around. I understand the urge to get off on a task, to put the day to a good purpose. Here is the result of the interview:
-- Alan Casline

What was your first dream?
As a child, thinking of owning or being in charge of an expansive piece of land. The land would be up a hill and there were other people participating. "Paying out my own eg0" I grew up looking at a hill behind the house - no posted land in the 1930's. Later in life there was the opportunity to create a thousand acre preserve in the Catskills with the Cornwallville Conservation Corp.
What authors, education, teachers, mentors helped you on the pursuit of your dream?
I really can't answer that. I'm very internalized - can't think of any person who stimulated me to do what I'm doing. Father was an English teacher at R.P.I.. He didn't believe in radio except for news and prize fighting. The environmental influence of childhood is important but also I believe the genetic make-up of the individual determines alot of what someone is. You operate within your talents. Of course there is still an effect from your environment. I always spent alot of time thinking. I wouldn't go off with a book. I would sit there and think.
What happened when the forces seemed overwhelming, the obstacles too great for you to reach your dream, what did you do in reaction to that?
My glass is always "half-full". All obstacles are surmountable. Figure a way to try and get around it. That's the story of Cornwallville Conservation Corp. There were major obstacles which only could have been surmounted by me. Pine Hollow Arboretum is not going to fail and if it does fail its back-up is going to recreate it.
What are your current dreams?
The Arboretum.
Also I am more and more interested in some of my writing, the small short essays. It is hard to do it all with writing poetry. The essays are all dated and progress as I continue with them.
I am interested in philosophy - reality - truth. We have a culture of not respecting the truth. My concept is God is truth and cannot be separated from it. Faith is an important thing but faith has got to be compatable with truth, When you reach the unknown that's when faith comes.