The Chewonki logo with the Osprey in the "C" is officially going into retirement after more than a decade of use, and the new logo, crafted by designer Matt Ralph of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, is officially being launched today. We hope you like it!

When asked about the history of Chewonki's logos, Don Hudson said there is little information in our records, other than copies of old promotional brochures. "We do not know who drew many of those early images," said Don. "However, I can confirm that the Osprey in a "C" was used on banners going back to the 1930s and was clearly drawn or influenced by Roger Tory Peterson."

Matt Ralph, whose design company also produced the latest Semester School viewbook, rendered the new Osprey from a photograph of the weathervane on the Barn. Matt spent days last summer poring over archives in the Chewonki library and said the recurrence of the Osprey in brochures, clothing, patches, and equipment convinced him that the bird deserved prominence in the new logo.

"I was taken by the frequency that the osprey shows up, not only around the campus itself, but also in the archives," said Matt. "Chewonki has done a good job of retaining the meaning of that symbol and the new logo needed to reflect that."

Since the Foundation was created in 1962, there have been three versions of the osprey used, and only one, the last version, where the osprey appears inside the letter "C." Don notes that the new logo provides a perfect a middle ground between the really stylized forms of Peterson's earliest ospreys and the very detailed last version.

The new logo will begin to appear on Chewonki's letterhead and brochures over the next weeks and months. More importantly, it is available now on water bottles, sweatshirts, and coffee mugs. Consider sharing them with family and friends for the holidays! To place an order, simply go to http://www.chewonki.org/store.asp