Heartwood mourns the passing of Alison Cochran Little
Heartwood mourns the passing of Alison Cochran Little. Alison was among the founders of Heartwood. Alison was present at the earliest meetings and played a key role in giving expression to the shared vision that would become Heartwood: people helping people protect the places they love.
Alison took notes during those early meetings and later would serve the organization as Executive Director from 1999 to 2001. But perhaps most important was her recognition that while what brought us together was a shared commitment to the intricate beauty and wild diversity of the hardwood forest, what keeps us together and what forms the foundation of Heartwood is the relationships we forge and the work we share:
The food we grow, prepare and eat together, the dishes we wash in each others homes when we gather; the inspiring and productive time spent in discussion and forging common purpose; the fires we build and the stories we tell; the beautiful forests and the wild rivers where we meet; the love we share and the music we play. Alison attended to the â˜heartâ™ of Heartwood.
She was also active in the Dogwood Alliance, Protect Our Woods and the National Forest Protection Alliance, and was listed as a Green Hero by InTheseTimes in 2001 http://www.inthesetimes.com/issue/25/11/kolb2511.html. She was a mother, sister and daughter; a teacher, an activist, a fiddle player & singer, and a dear friend. She will be sorely missed. Heartwood extends our deepest sympathies to her family.
You can hear Alison singing and accompanying herself on fiddle on the Stephen Foster song "Hard Times (Come Again No More)" at the following link:
http://www.wildwestinstitute.org/hardtimes.mpeg
A remembrance by Dogwood Alliance activist Scot Quaranda can be found at: http://www.dogwoodalliance.org/content/view/348/40/
Photo by Andy Mahler
Alison's Music
We hope you enjoy these recordings that Alison made with her husband Chris Little (Alison on fiddle and Chris on guitar) and with the band the Randys (Darren Haggerty: drums, percussion; Alison Cochran Little: fiddle, vocals; Chris Little: guitar, vocals; Tim Pearson: bass; Wade Van Orman: piano, clavinet, organ, guitar, vocals; Tiffany Walton: vocals)—offered here in Alison's memory by her husband Chris Little (120MB zipped collection of mp3s):