Raising little advocates

My daughter tears this Knob Creek ad out of one of her latest National Geographic magazines, brings it to me and says - in a bit of a brusque tone - "Do you know what's missing from this picture, Papa?"

I Look at it, in silence for a few moments and posit an answer - "a woman?"

"See, YOU know", she says, and walks back to her bed before continuing "...and I'm going to cut out a picture of me and paste it onto this ad."

Good Lord I love this girl.

Secret Fishing Holes and Hunting Spots

Where were you fishing? I promise I won't tell anyone. *Very. Next.Day.*

Ever had one of these experiences?

While this is obviously a bit of an exaggeration, I have had similar experiences where a particular spot I thought was relatively secluded ended up not being so. As a life-time fisherman, hunter, camper, backpacker, and all-around outdoorsman, I tend to keep rather mum on a few of my most cherished places to go. And while I am judicious about telling people ALL the good fishing/hunting/hiking spots, I usually tell them at least a few good places to go.

Why? Because I want more people developing a sense of place and making strong connections to the rest of the natural world (of which we are a part of). Why? Because making a connection often results in shared respect. Respect often leads to caring. And, while there's been little research in this arena (see Joanne Vining's piece in Research in Human Ecology), caring may wind up making the difference in how things end up being managed.

So please, please, if you care about a particular place or species or habitat, don't keep mum about it. Sure, keep a few of your most special places on the hush...but tell people about other great places to go, get them outside, show them why connecting to the rest of the natural world is so marvelous! Doing so may just help help save your favorite place.

Fishing vs. Catching

In a recent post, a friend commented about how much he disliked the elements he encountered during a recent fishing trip. But most of all he hated not catching any fish.

While I love catching fish, over the years my focus has changed a bit. Don't get me wrong, I still love catching fish, but simply being "on the water" is often enough to quench my thirst for finding my center. Struck with a moment of insight (they happen so rarely these days), I responded with a brief thought on fishing (and catching). And I smiled to see that it seemed to strike a chord with others, too.