Northern Arizona University/Environmental Ethics/Journals/Leopold

Journal Entry #1 9/6/2010  I was sitting here starring out the window looking at the trees while the wind blew on them. I slowly continued to get a since that nature needed me. The need for me to explore it and to enjoy it. I think that this feeling comes from my instincts. Or even the ethical standards I have built into my "human storage locker." It's almost like I have a beconing call to come to nature! In the beginning of feburary, Leopold speaks of avoiding spiritual dangers 1 danger is having a farm to plant one's own food. The other is to have your own heat that came from oak that you split and staked. Why would Leopold speak of these things? I think he is trying to tell the reader to get out of the city, go to the forest and live off the land. To let go of the modern inventions of man and embrace the love that we all have for the land.

Journal Entry #2 "Our lumberpile recruited entirely from the river, is thus not only a collection of personalities, but an anthology of human strivings in upriver farms and forests." He speaks of these lumberpiles as having "personalities." These lumber boards must have many things attached to them and/or a lot of markings? In order to have much personality. "Lakes have boats, and there is always a chance that one might land to pay you a visit." I wonder what he means by this? The sentance before this one spoke of solitude. Does he mean that solitude can be visited but not in a lake because there are boats? I guess so. He goes on to speak of aloneness. He mentions that the road in and out is covered with water. The only traffic in or out will be carp. I love how he goes to the nature in everything he says. This fills my heart with joy! Draba is a flower that is so small one must be looking for it or be very close to the ground to see it. He says "He who despairs of spring with downcast eye steps on it." This sentance impells me to go out and look for this flower named Draba. This sentance seems soo sad for one to ignore all of nature its wonderful beauty! "Draba plucks no heartstrings." What does Leopold mean by this? He must mean the flower is not pretty enough to be given as a gift to someone that enjoys it truelly in their heart. Leopold continues to speak of the Draba in a bad way then says it does a good job quickly and well.

Journal Entry #3 " Bur oaks were the shock troops sent by the invading forest to storm the praire; fire is what they had to fight." I love how Leopold says something sad and emotional then says something wonderful and good. This paints a picture in my mind of trees running across a prairie plain towards a fire. Leopold goes onto speak of how engineers got the idea of insulation from these bur oak trees. Leopold talks of how the oaks marched the entire prairie and took over the land. These oaks having thick cork wood would not burn. As a result the oaks stopped the prairies from burning up. He also states how if you look at the rings on the trees one can varify his claim because the rings will date back to the 1850s or 60s. As soon as the farmers took a hold of the prairie fires, the grubs or roots of oak grew up into trees and formed tall thickets so dense that it was difficult to walk through them. The person that owns a farm of oak owns a library of evolution. This is do to the way the land has grown and become healthy with every waking day/week/minute. "The drama of the sky dance is enacted nightly on hundreds of farms, the owners of which sigh for entertainment, but harbour the illusion that it is to be sought in theaters. They live on the land not by the land." This to me is an example of all those that live and we must embrace this place we live in for its beauty and love and wonder! I feel this is what Leopold is saying to us.