The Woods Come Alive

Two things have really revolutionized my experience on Burleigh Mountain in recent weeks. First, as Hans and I have been rethinking the program and our roles within it, we have decided that Burleigh Mountain will, so to speak, come under my direction. Second, Russ Brummer and I have begun a year long workshop studying forest health and ways of integrating forest care and knowledge into standard curricula.

I don't know which has changed my walks more, but now, I can't go near Burleigh without field guides! (What a geek...) I certainly can't walk there without seeing potential projects, and opportunities. Wendell Berry says that ethical living is built on affection. He makes the point that you can't love what you don't know, and you won't try to conserve the space you live in if you don't know and love it. Getting to know Burleigh, the animals and plants that make up it's community and the land itself, is growing in me a desire to care for, conserve, and sustainably use it.