Thus far, here in Churchill, I honestly don’t feel like myself! I’ve had so many experiences that I would not “normally” do that I now feel like a somewhat different (and more adventurous) person. For example, today I was on my hands and knees, surveying (or clumsily rummaging) through patches of tree island floor looking for seedlings (or baby trees as I like to call them).
[I repeat: I was voluntarily in dirt. Getting dirty. With bugs(!) swarming my face.]
These white spruce seedlings, about the size of my pinky, were about 5 years old! This is incredible! I can’t imagine how they survive the below freezing temperatures, being trampled by wildlife, and many other hardships of growing up in such a very harsh environment. I applaud them!
For example, here's a 27 year old spruce tree:
In fact, I have a newfound respect for nature. There are so many obstacles that can take the life of a fledging seedling, yet they face the storms and survive. On my way to the field I marched along the terrain as fast as I could while trying to avoid the wetlands (no one likes dirty Timberlands). Upon meeting these little seedling soldiers, I carefully skipped, hopped, and jumped over their siblings in order to make their lives a bit easier while on my way back to the van. Isn’t it weird how quickly one can become attached to nature? I mean, its one thing to have fresh cut flowers in your house where you admire them every once in a while, but seeing how these plants and trees survive in the wild is just incredible and inspiring!
So yeah, nature is awesome!
[I repeat: I was voluntarily in dirt. Getting dirty. With bugs(!) swarming my face.]
These white spruce seedlings, about the size of my pinky, were about 5 years old! This is incredible! I can’t imagine how they survive the below freezing temperatures, being trampled by wildlife, and many other hardships of growing up in such a very harsh environment. I applaud them!
For example, here's a 27 year old spruce tree:
In fact, I have a newfound respect for nature. There are so many obstacles that can take the life of a fledging seedling, yet they face the storms and survive. On my way to the field I marched along the terrain as fast as I could while trying to avoid the wetlands (no one likes dirty Timberlands). Upon meeting these little seedling soldiers, I carefully skipped, hopped, and jumped over their siblings in order to make their lives a bit easier while on my way back to the van. Isn’t it weird how quickly one can become attached to nature? I mean, its one thing to have fresh cut flowers in your house where you admire them every once in a while, but seeing how these plants and trees survive in the wild is just incredible and inspiring!
So yeah, nature is awesome!