The culmination of a lifelong effort came when we purchased 40 acres (about 17 hectares) of forest land. My wife and I have loved living in the country since as undergraduates we lived in a farmworker's shack. Over the years, as we moved from place to place, we were able to afford more forest. We've been here for 27 years now, and I work in the forest every day with decent weather, taking out dead trees, thinning the thickets, collecting floor fuel and burning it in slash piles. As age has sapped my strength, I have hired people to help. I can't stop climate change, but I can make 40 acres of this earth healthier, safer from wildfire, and more biodiverse. That's good enough for me.
This is great. I taught outdoor school today in a forest and kept stopping to listen to a beautiful birdsong, I think was a crowned sparrow? The kids would all stop and look up, listening, as if they had not noticed the gift of music in the trees until I paused and pointed it out, but I could see them appreciate it. And they loved having school outside. Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed listening.
The culmination of a lifelong effort came when we purchased 40 acres (about 17 hectares) of forest land. My wife and I have loved living in the country since as undergraduates we lived in a farmworker's shack. Over the years, as we moved from place to place, we were able to afford more forest. We've been here for 27 years now, and I work in the forest every day with decent weather, taking out dead trees, thinning the thickets, collecting floor fuel and burning it in slash piles. As age has sapped my strength, I have hired people to help. I can't stop climate change, but I can make 40 acres of this earth healthier, safer from wildfire, and more biodiverse. That's good enough for me.
This is great. I taught outdoor school today in a forest and kept stopping to listen to a beautiful birdsong, I think was a crowned sparrow? The kids would all stop and look up, listening, as if they had not noticed the gift of music in the trees until I paused and pointed it out, but I could see them appreciate it. And they loved having school outside. Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed listening.