The Voyageur Institute/The Ranger School

Trees.  Plants.  Animals.  Flora.  Fauna.  Outdoors.  Nature.  Those things are not us, right? 

It seems that we live a life not connected with nature.  Our cities exist with a plentitude of buildings, streets, houses, and sidewalks but a very small amount of parks.  On a much grander scale though, the Earth and natural environments are the place where we exist and we've made bubbles within that macro environment.  We've made bubbles seemingly cut off. 

Cut off from the womb.  Cut off from the place which bore us.  Which provided for us.  Our civilization would not exist if it weren't for the resources which we've pillaged from the earth.  Our civilization would not exist if it weren't for the knowledge and wisdom gleaned from natural functions developing life.  Just like our civilization would not exist if not for the hard work and ingenuity of those before us.  The ground was tilled and planted and found fertile.  What shall we reap?  What shall be our harvest?

That's up to us.  We have many great examples to help guide us.  But we need some modern heroes.  People who are willing to do something different.  People who are willing to walk the road not taken, because that's what makes the difference.  We need people who aren't going to sit in front of the television/entertainment device all day.  We need people who aren't going to walk staring at their smart phone.  We need people who aren't going to buy their way out of the hole that's been dug but instead people who are willing to get muddy and banged up. 

We need people like Brad "Darby" Kittel from Tiny Texas Houses.  We need people like Brett McKay of  The Art of Manliness.  We need people like John Michael Greer of Ecosophia.  We need people who are willing to walk the talk.  People who make changes by being the changes.  Modern day Gandhis. 

Modern day people willing to make peace with living the change they want to see.  One of the biggest changes I want to see is more respect and communion with nature.  We've got some great examples from the past providing some headway into being in harmony with nature.  John Muir.  Henry David Thoreau.  Ernest Thompson Seton.  Aldo Leopold.  Sigurd Olson. 

What I'd personally like to start working towards over the next year is to lay the groundwork to start developing some nature organizations similar to the Woodcraft League.  Organizations which would both encourage and help people to get outside and develop a healthy relationship with the world from whence we came.  Would you like to help me or get involved somehow?  Post a comment!

The Perfect Place to Live

I spend a lot of time thinking about and researching the perfect place to live.  I've learned a lot about different ecosystems and gotten very familiar with the geography of not only the USA but various other places around the world.  Occasionally, the knowledge can be fun to share in conversation with others.  Overall though, it's been a complete waste of my time and life.  Sometimes wanting to find a perfect place consumes me.  What places have houses available that are affordable.  What places have schools I want my children to go to.  What places have a climate that I would enjoy.  What places will have snow during the winter holidays.  What places have mountains.  What places will offer the best opportunities for my children in the future. 

Place certainly is important.  It has a lot of impact on a person and their future self.  But what is perhaps more important than that is what you're doing with your life right now.  What skills are you trying to learn.  What are you practicing.  What are you developing.  What are you cultivating.  What are you learning.  What are you experiencing. 

With those things in mind, picking a place which imbues you with the energy to achieve the things you are interested in makes a lot of sense.  You get energy from your environment.  And it can be cyclical.  Areas that have longer winters may mean less energy in the winter and more in the summer.  Personally, I've been someone better with consistency, with fewer changes day after day.  Having a nice rest for a week or two is great, but a long winter is hard on me.  The same goes for short days and long nights, or long days and short nights.  I prefer more balance. 

Ultimately, I know I need to move somewhere to a place which is going to give me what I am looking for, a place which is easy to get outside in, to grow food and plants, to create parks, and opportunities for more time outdoors.  And more importantly, I just need to enjoy and make the best out of what I currently have.