Over the past few days, I've become increasingly uneasy about our woods cleaning project. I'm not wild about having a big, hulking excavator here, and I feel like we're "wasting" perfectly good wood in our burn piles. So far, I've rationalized away my concerns by consoling myself with the fact that we're not cutting any live trees down—we're simply harvesting what will become the fuel supply in our eventual home.
But at the heart of it, I just don't feel like we're informed enough to make good decisions about what we're doing in our woods. So, in an effort to take the most responsible course of action, I've ordered a few books on sustainable forestry, the natural wilderness of Vermont, and permaculture practices. I'm hoping these will help lead us in the right direction; I can't wait to crack them open!
Find your place on the planet.
Gary Snyder
Dig in, and take responsibility from there.