Treehugger

Sometimes it takes the wonder of a child, or in my case the passion of a twinkly-eyed adult, to wake you up to the amazing things around you.  In my previous blog post I mentioned the Camp at which my family has been spending time for generations.  I love the place - its in my blood - but today I experienced in a completely new way.  Its funny how you can get used to a place.  Its not that you don’t love it or appreciate it, its just that you get comfortable, and you begin to miss the details.  

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting tree expert, Matthew Largess (aka The Treehugger).  The man is dynamic...and he loves trees...seriously, a lot.  When he heard where the Camp is and that I personally saw a bear there last year (in Rhode Island - quite rare), his eyes lit up.  I knew then that he would be joining us at Camp.  He had to.  He arrived in his orange “I’m not a deer, don’t shoot me” vest, equipped with a compass around his neck and pens poking out of various pockets.  Then he asked of my daughter and nephew, “Hey, wanna have a nature class?”  Then we went on a walkabout (no, that’s not what he called it, but its a fun word one doesn’t often have the pleasure of brandishing).  He stopped often to simply marvel at the trees - to touch them, really admire them...even to smell them (because each species has a distinct smell, don't ya know).  “Wow! What a beauty!” he’d exclaim. 

“Start keeping a journal! Keep track of what you see every time you come here!  You can be the caretakers and record keepers of these woods!" 

"The future of the forest depends upon the children!” 

It may be cliche but isn’t it the truth?  Children really experience nature fully. They soak it in with all of their senses.  We need to fan that spark as they grow; cultivate it.  What better way to do that than to find the spark within ourselves?  The desire to protect nature is born of a love and respect for it. How better to encourage our future scientists and conservationists than to stop and really  see nature, to explore, to ask questions (and to admit we may not know all the answers), to simply and fully marvel at the truly stunning work of Mother Nature all around us?