EEC Forest Stewardship

Slow=conserve

Fast=burn

These two simple factors will measure anything you’re in wonder about regarding ecological consumption and what actions are pure wash of greening. Take the bus, bicycle, footpath, when you leave home- or how far do you drive? How often? Flying is in it’s own category-obscene consumption. What about transport of all your acquisitions? They have taken- multiple boats, planes, trains, and trucks to get to your front door (convenience). This is step one of the great flawed techno-solution scramble we’re all missing in our daily intake. Understand that much of this problem is orchestrated on purpose to perpetuate need. If it’s all right around us, we don’t have to reach far. Local vs. global, but we went global with extraction and pulled all the supply chains together into a huge, heavy net; choking the planet with billions of shipping containers. Convenience is killing us.

Why are we not thinking about how to reduce driving? It would mean redesigning whole city layouts, developing rural public transit, and actually cultivating thoughtful action in our communities to plan group travel and ride share. Instead, we’re spending billions on driver-less cars. What a waste of energy to perpetuate individual use- which makes us all buy more. That’s the key challenge to any change for the better in our transit- greed. Corporations don’t make money on public transit, but what if we prioritized transportation for our economy as a whole? What if developments had to plan foot access to major food, medical, and greater transportation needs? All this can be done, and paid for- if we shifted priority away from selfish to flourish, and held corporate development and personal greed (in all ourselves) responsible. Get ready to embrace some real vision shift.

Could mining take the last of these finite resources and use them to develop great public transport to shift our cities away from self driving cars? What if a bus came every half hour to a stop less that 10 min walk from your house- would you take it? What if gas cost 10x the price of a bus ticket- you would then, and gladly- but you’re right- there’s not a bus every half hour- at least not here in Duvall- yet! But we do have a local bus rout you can reserve a seat on, and the shuttle will come by your house to pick you up with a reservation. Seattle Light Rail is coming to the next town over from us, which will make it possible to get a direct ride to the city, and major international airport too. Just for the record- flying is tons (literally CO2 tons) more footprint than driving, and would be the largest annual saving of carbon emissions after not having children, which is #1. But back in Duvall, I know bus routs will grow here in our small town as more housing developments grow, and Light Rail expands, so we’ll have access in the next few years. Right now, it would take me 3 hours and 4 buses to get to Seattle from home. That’s not viable for a job in the city, but I work from home. If more of us did that, we’d also help decongest roads.

Smart urban development will also assist us in building a better world to live in together. But we have to support the change we want to see. This is where local planning meetings in your town are crucial to partake in. Here in Duvall, we have a 60 year plan of development mapped and activated. It’s frightening, but in hand with larger county planning, which has asked smaller towns to spread out and make room, while in Seattle, high-rise apartment complexes grow. It does forever change the feel of Seattle, but allows for the population growth without urban sprawl in an already constrained urban footprint- surrounded by water on two sides. While Seattle grows up, Duvall grows out- to a point, but rural unincorporated lands like EEC Forest Stewardship will remain undeveloped- if properly set up to prevent building in future. A land owner can do that here in Washington, by selling their development rights to the county, which then uses them to develop in highly urban density locations. Click HERE to learn more.

Stop building new infrastructure until we can afford to maintain what we already have. I watch oil extraction open new wells without cleaning up the old ones they abandon- that should be illegal. New roads are paved as old ones rot away and cost billions to repair. The new roads only add to a city’s cost woes in the long run, but bad development like this is perpetuated by poor planning and short term greed. When we can mend and make do- we should! The real “green” revolution is led by up and coming generations who don’t have cars, live with their parents- because housing is unaffordable and multi-family homes are a real green deal. If we can address housing, transportation, and basic necessities for pedestrians, we could save so much in resources, we might be able to address some other outstanding consumption addictions, like highly processed foods, and people having no time to cook for themselves. I’ll save natural gas stoves for another talk another time, but think about what you plug in and do not think that plug is a green out for your consumer troubles. That electric grid is still coal, oil, and diesel run- and all the rare earth minerals which go into our technologies is killing us and our planet.

So when you can- share a ride, ask for better access on foot, plan your shopping in a localized way, ask for smart urban development, and ask what you can cut from your consumption addiction. Take the train, bus, or carpool when you can. Don’t get more plug-in things to fill your wall sockets. Don’t buy into green wash. Call it out when someone is trying to sell you such crock. Move towards a lifestyle which uses less driving, more home grown, and local economy whenever possible. Remember your life before Amazon? Get off the addictive buying screen and get out in the world on foot to discover what you really need- then discover your food desert neighborhood, or a mile down and back up a nice ridge to acquire trucked in groceries, and some local farm products when available. There would be a heck of a lot of walking- but also a hauling challenge, hence the car- I know, but what if wagons returned electric (locally cycling off our river’s current) public transport up and down the main hill? Maybe bicycles? Back to all this walking, realize modern foot wear sucks and start designing a wearable shoe not made from industrial extraction materials- hmm… Food for thought. Thanks as always for reading this and reflecting.

Big Dog is working and playing- with a little help from PawOpedic out of Issiquah, WA. Above, out Kangal moves with his sheep back to the barn- on leash here because we’re between fenced pastures in the wildlife corridor along our creek. Livestock can move through, but not be left to wander into the forest grazing. They catch a quick bite of grass along the road as we transhumance. What a world it would be indeed if there were no gates or fencing- we could walk like this for miles- but no need with enough well managed space within our bounds for now. Gill does not mind, as long as he gets to patrol, which, once back inside the fence, he can. The guardian of our farm is physically fit, though requiring a brace and over-site in his rounds. The routine now involves more leash time to make sure his weaker leg has enough warmup time before Mr. large and in charge prances off to check the fence lines.

While the ewes and lambs rest in lush pasture, Gill keeps up the pace to make sure all the perimeter markings are up to date with scent communication. Fresh lines keep visiting predators aware that this territory is well maintained by a resident farm friend, who will happily give a bark reminder that the animals within are not available for consumption at this time. Our only predation last year happened when I was away, and a helpful farm sitter was taking Gill in the barn during the day, and away from his post with the geese. There is sometimes a great misconception that LGDs (Livestock Guardian Dogs) are like pet dogs. They are not. LGDs have extremely thick winter coats to keep them very comfortable outside in most temperatures. Gill’s Kangal roots are from the Anatolian Mountains of Central Turkey. If I brought him inside my winter heated home (68F), he would be miserably hot and uncomfortable. Also, he would be away from his favorite, and most helpful job- night watchman.

Kangals love night watch- that’s why you’ll see them sleeping a lot during the day, they guard best in the dark, when predators are much more active. This does not mean they are unaware during the day- Gill alerts at anything out of the ordinary- not the deer who come through by the creek a few times a day, but at the bear lumbering through, who produces a distinct sound, smell, and energy that Gill’s 5,000 year development as a guardian animal protecting flocks against wolf and bear. He is not phased by construction work going on next door, or people walking past in daylight having a conversation. But he would bark if people walk by at night. These dogs know intent, and nothing gets past them. Once in a while I have to check myself with, what I perceive as a normal action- walking into Gills area with a shovel to clean- which he sees as me coming at him with a weapon. It only happened once, and his reaction was to tuck his head and tail and turn away from me, slinking off behind his chalet. I froze in that moment, horrified at my own naivete.

Gill came to Leafhopper as a rescue 3 years after being born in Turkey, and found on the streets of Istanbul. He was well socialized and good on leash, with the obedience expected of his breed- aloof, but well aware, and patient. He warmed to the sheep immediately, and took on the job as flock guardian willingly. His appreciation of daily rhythms- including guarding, making the rounds, scent marking, and smelling the news, Gill settles into a bone chew, nap, or lazy lean against his chalet. He’s tethered there a bit, but it’s nearest the barn and at his favorite watch spot in that pasture. The Chalet offers full shelter and luxury comfort both inside and out, and Gill has put in a few custom holes to lay in to keep his core warm or cool, depending on the time of year. His other big asset for outdoor life is his wardrobe, which is more well stocked than any manufacturer could supply.

Right now, Gill is shedding his second coat. His first came out in March, before it was even above freezing- and he was so relived when I brushed him out. The second coat takes more time, and drops a lot more hair. I’ll keep brushing through the next few weeks, and thankfully, the weather has stayed below 80, so he’s not uncomfortable. Mind you it’s May, and because of climate change, we’ve had more and more April/May 80s days, but this year, cooler temps prevail. I brush Gill out in places I like his scent to be strong- like the gates of pastures, and around the barn. I’ll even take gathered hair to the chicken coop, and spread it around. That’s a scent guard. A lot of his shed will end up in bird nests too, and what stays on the ground will add calcium to the soil as it breaks down.

Gill is also very devoted to his flock. Taking him away from his job and his pack stresses the guy a bit, and since his whole world is security, he will take on said task with gusto where ever he’s established, so the truck is his when he’s riding in it to the vet- his only trip off site. Now, he was well socialized as a puppy to take in and accept change and newness with guided support, but Gill is at his most relaxed and happy near the barn with his flock. That job and stable surroundings, with good training; creates the dog’s best life and role on the farm. He’s a working breed through and through, and has the great temperament with people that Kangal’s are celebrated for. This dog remains a crucial part of our operations, as a respected co-worker and friend. With his loyal support and kind nature, both the animals he protects, and the wildlife he warns off, remain safe. Thank you Gilly-Bean!

Leafhopper Farm is all about insect helpers, and know how important they are to the environment. But only recently, has it begun to become apparent how much more is going on in an insect’s mind, that’s right folks, insects have brains, and they think- a lot, and learn, and can be trained. Check it out!

Hello, welcome to a New Year. There’s a fresh batch of lambs here at Leafhopper Farm, and the forest all around is alive with bursting buds and early alder pollen- yes, it’s late February, Spring for us here in Western Washington. Our Oso Berry is unfolding white petals of elegant cascading blossoms. Blackberry leaf buds are spring forth, signaling my clippers and maddock to get in their last removals before bird nesting commences. Hard working dogs alert at hawks in daytime and coyotes at night. Hens are laying- a dozen eggs, still at $7 here, but the grain price is up, so egg-flation might hit soon. Free range gleaning, Scratch and Peck feeding, hard working birds. Two clutches hatched this winter, with a third planned for March. Our land will host a second Women and Girls’ Hunter Education Class in April. Much to look forward to.

Survival through another night

such gratitude, first light

fiery majesty textured color burns

fleeting warmth clouded by war

smoke and rubble

grey tones ringing somber New Year

It’s such an important part of sharing experience and wisdom, the simple act of connection, an invitation to join, follow, and watch. Though I harvested my deer earlier in the season this fall, I could not pass up an opportunity to head out into my beloved woods with the person who connected me with my passion for hunting here in Washington. Wes grew up in these forests around Snoqualmie, and has spent a decade sharing these special places with me in an attempt to pass on his knowledge and love of the outdoors. My grandfather also connected me at a young age, and I am so grateful for the people in my life who saw my love of wilderness and helped me embrace it.

I spent my own childhood catching anything that moved with my bare hands- except snakes! The days of barefoot creek wanders and horned toads scurrying thorough hot red sandstone cliffs lining oak scrub woods in Oklahoma set a tone of nature connection. My grandfather picked up on this soulful draw, and taught me the song of the red bird (cardinal), how to catch a crappie, and why asparagus needed to be cut young. When I moved to Washington, I was not expecting to become a hunter. The notion of killing a large animal had remained daunting. I’d harvested a few road kill deer in my life, but perusing big game in the epic forests of The Pacific Northwest seemed a step beyond my capabilities, until I met Wes during a long bow making workshop. Wes and his wife Sharon, also an accomplished hunter, gave a talk on bow hunting and how to get certified though hunter education for legal harvesting with proper tags. It was an informative and motivating talk, after which, I approached Wes and Sharon to ask what to do next. They said to get certified and then contact them. So I did, and it changed my life.

Since getting certified and starting on the road to harvesting wild food, there’s been a lot of learning. Wes has been there through most of it, coaching my shooting, honing my sights, and building up my confidence through encouragement and just the right amount of push. The opportunity to observe and shadow a man so gifted and connected to nature has deeply influenced my own place and self-identity. I don’t walk into the wilds with just anyone- especially with guns and the intention to kill an animal. This truly sacred act is one best done with someone you trust. For me, Wes is family, and he has taken me places I’d never have gone alone. This mentoring has deep purpose in us humans, and sharing talent, expertise, and confidence is a priceless thing, given without expectation when given freely. I don’t think Wes would have been as invested if I was not following through on my own. My first deer harvest was entirely solo. I kept going out, got certified as an instructor myself, and have taught with Wes to ensure our privilege to hunt remains strong.

This is an important part of mentoring, to ensure the continued knowledge and experience grows through future generations. We are not blood kin, but Wes is family, he and I are both non-parent adults, but see the sacred bonds that form through mentoring and know you don’t have to have kids to teach, share, and devote time to supporting young people. Mentoring is a way to give stability to kids in need of safe adult connection. It’s a worthy way for me as as confirmed non-mairrage/non-parent to still be deeply connected to the future generations, helping to cultivate joy, confidence, and personal growth- for me and my mentee. I’ve not only continued to mentor in the hunting world, but also in our local school system, to ensure the gifts I received in time and energy from other loving adults keeps growing. I think it’s one of the most profound ways to thank my mentors- passing it on. What a world we could live in with more adults being kind and connected to youth around them.

What Wes has offered me is priceless, and I know I will proudly carry on his lineage of nature connection and profound respect for the living world I am a part of forever. I also have a vision of being in my 70s some day with a shadow of my own who keeps the learning alive. In laughter, celebration, and gratitude to all who connect, share, and care. Thank you all for giving me such light in my life, and the skills to be thriving in this world.

The birds had us this year, with cold, wet weather and gusty winds, the morning was adventuring and scouting, with good company and great land exploring. My hunting buddy also taught me a lot about state forestry practices and improved habitat initiatives- including snag preservation and leaving larger trees, already well established, to improve future groves. There were hundreds of burned acres we witnessed, but stayed out of, for a myriad of reasons, including erosion prevention and completely denuded landscape, which gave no cover, food, or shelter to wildlife; thus barren of Turkey. Environment is unraveling, yet also spinning new webs of restoration, sometimes tangled, uncomfortably rough, wearing raw emotion.

Dynamic movement up and down ridges and hills, circling tight patches of public land, and seeing the human nature of ownership, and short sighted carved up natural resources. Turkeys were brought to Washington State by ignorant colonizers. Ecological preservation had no cognitive ring to end industrial extraction genocide- it’s still only buzzword with little substance for profit father god. That’s to take in, with slow breath, then exhale in disgust and live on. Stepping back into the field, where a friend and fellow environmentally aware woman, hunter, and professional conservationist shared pursuit of invasive species offering a good meals and well earned dirt time. Possible harvesting of our favored galliformes– the heaviest member of that order. We were mesmerized by larches still grasping their needles of golden majesty. What spelndor set against dark green fir and pine, undulating in the wind, up and down hillsides, an ocean of once flowing forest now worn to patches dotting here and there.

Turkey like large open spaces, and fire naturally accommodates this, opening up new seed dispersal avenues for terrestrial birds to scratch and peck at, spreading vegetation and new plantings throughout exposed soil. Surprisingly, humans clear with even more enthusiasm- with no intention of restoring habitat for anyone but themselves. The productivity of barren land declines into desertification. Agriculture relies on inputs- heavy labor extraction, and exposes ground eroded by the elements, robbing the land fertility. Many clearings here in east central Washington are residential development. The resort sprawl off Waitts Lake caters to many an exposed cut and unchecked edge clogged with young pines and brush. A resident flock enjoys dust bathing and endless forage in the needle beds and weedy mounds between RVs and little cottages all in a row.

Our other major sighting on our one full day of hunting, reside at the municipal water treatment plant. How delightful, a sort of hot springs, if you will. These birds are fat and sassy. One tom was actually presenting to a mixed flock, which stirred up the other males and sent the hens scurrying off to forage in peace. It was out of season for courtship, but an El Nino year paired with exponential warming climate makes for confusing times. Our red alders are still clinging to green leaves in late November. Change continues, though on a much faster track than most of us realize. Still, turkey adapt well, and have established a thriving presence around the country.

Where a new species establishes, it usually pushes out another- directly or indirectly. Our native grouse populations on the east side of the state have been deeply affected by fires in the past decade. Habitat loss has and will always be the number one harm for all wildlife, but we like to skip over ourselves as responsible, thus putting more effort into profits as usual. The amount of subdivided lots for sale around The Coleville National Forest was a little shocking. Countless 5-10 acre lots with fresh clearings, barbed wire fencing, and an RV or trailer home on a freshly poured pad mark each domain. It did remind me of EEC lands back in Duvall- a lot of similarities could be drawn. But these lots are recent development in an area with high fire risk, slower recovery time, and strained resources. Turkey thrive here, but grouse and elk struggle in an ever shrinking habitat.

On our hunt, we followed a pair of mule deer through a stand of more mature forest, but quack grass chokes out native ground covers like kinnikinnik, a favorite ground bird foraging berry in late fall. Invasive plants exacerbate burn hazard in the environment. Evidence of much needed fire control could really help these lands, but too much fuel has created tinder boxes, and we continued to see vast acres of hot burn, scorched earth across many hilltops. We never saw any evidence of turkey in these overgrown, forb-less ground spaces. Though fire does play a crucial role in habitat restoration, it takes years for the land to fully recover from hot burns, and often, development uses the scorched earth as an excuse to barge in and build on “destroyed” land. Thankfully, science is showing us how important it is to let burned soils rest, or even encourage reseeding with straw mulch where applicable. The wild turkey support recovery by spreading seeds, scratching up the soil, and pooping fertility across vast acreages. Though they are invasive, these birds are also filling gaps in the ecology, where once thriving populations of grouse would have played a similar role.

The season is not over yet, and another trip to the east side this winter might allow for more hunting opportunities, but it’s a heck of a drive to turkey territory, and our home flock of Cotton Patch Geese are thriving here at EEC Forest Stewardship. Still, getting out in the larch and pine forests over The Cascades is always a great change of ecology and learning adventure. So much gratitude to the land, friends who share a passion for hunting, and the living world we are deeply connected to once we’re out in it.

Rolling hills and monumental wonder towering in the distance, these hard wood oak and maple dominate deciduous forests mingle with occasional white pine and red cedar. We’re on The East Coast of USA- New England- where the history comes from. Bottom river farmland called to early settlers (1700s in what is today The State of Maine), and as infrastructure blossomed on the ocean shores, inland resources in good logging timber, right of ways, and mining shafts sprouted like weeds in the fertile land. Pushed out tribal people echo in place names- Massachusetts. The Penobscot people remain recognized in the area today. Below is a map of their currant reservation trust lands in Maine. Place remains important to most First Nations’ Peoples, their deeply rooted link to ecology and society woven within habitat once depended on by all, reduced to oddly shaped cut outs of a once vast and thriving wilderness.

As colonial settlement established along The East Coast, fortunes blossomed as extraction industry raked in endless woodland timber for export back to Europe, where all the great forests had already been cut to supply overpopulated regions for too many generations. Now these same families who destroyed their own lands came to America for more. England owned The Colonies initially, but by the founding of Andover in today’s Oxford County, ME, a revolution had put the lands of New England under a star spangled banner and veterans who fought to form a new nation were moving into the more remote reaches of wilderness in search of space to survey, develop, and capitalize on. Andover, ME Wiki entry describes a snapshot of its early Colonial settlers.

The town was first settled in 1789 by Ezekiel Merrill and his family who were transported there from Bethel, Maine, in canoes managed by members of the local Pequawket tribe. The first saw-mill was built on the East Branch of the Ellis River by Col. Thomas Poor in 1791 and was used to provide the lumber for the still standing Merrill-Poor House.

What a house! Imagine showing up along the banks of a river to build a life, believing you are compelled by a “God given right”, and motivated by economic industry to begin cutting the forest en-mass, while digging up ground for smelting and future rail expansion to bring more destructive hands to the region for personal gain. The family lore today continues to claim Indians were supportive of Ezekiel Merrill and his vision to settle the wilds of Maine. Most new settlers to the area were seeking a better life, but still, generations later, we don’t fully comprehend or acknowledge the harm done. Perpetuating a story of Indian Princesses as a token of good intention does not change a simple fact looming like an elephant in the room. The tribes are gone, many in New England are extinct, and the European lineage continues in a legacy of resource extraction enabled by railroad expansion and manifest destiny.

Looking out from the house, over the green forest hills and open fields of once cultivated land, progress rests its laurels on saw mills, lake front homes, and Appalachian Trail adventure. Smoke from wild fires, a climate change disaster, looms in a discolored sky. Through the process of gentrifying, colonizing, and capitalizing on the raw essence of nature, we ignore the consequences of our greed in generational extraction economy, and continue to accept old notions of convince and prosperity, without measuring our quality of life, or projected long term survival as a species. Sadly, this mindset will not give way to reason, and we continue to propel ourselves into greater disparities and divorce from reality into economic fantasy.

What is next for this great house and surrounding country side? The current generation is struggling to figure out how and why. This house holds childhood memories of fantastic summers swimming in nearby creeks where trout fight on the line and a fish dinner still offer solace in a strange world of upside down priorities and selective history. Under the very stones of this historic family home, perhaps a tribe once harvested food and lived without the need of a mill or flag to claim any land. Place is not something to own, but to be a part of. After only a few generations, Merrill House was used seasonally, with little interest in staying beyond pleasant vacation weather. By then, the tribal peoples were completely removed from the landscape, and Eurocentric narrative subdued any guilt of personal responsibility for “the natives” or the ecological devastation that will take many more generations to recover- if ever.

Still, the family history is impressive, and a lot of American economic life prospers today because of early settlers with great ambition. We learn that this kind of drive rewards- and the records of wealth glimmer in faded velvet furniture and brass lighting fixtures. Memoirs and diaries tell of decadent dinners and high powered board meetings at great oak tables, deciding the future of industry in New England. As the application for historic preservation of the house and grounds states, in Yankee Family, a study of the Poor Family, James R. McGovern describes this grand space as:

“A house which had once declared the needs of a successful American frontiersman
now bespoke those of an industrial lord, Will Poor, who often came to Merrill House
to entertain his business and personal friends. Visitors were fascinated by its
beauty then, just as they are today, Merrill House looking much as it did when
Henry and Will Poor lived there.“

Lording over wealth may sound great, and prospects one hundred years ago, before income tax, made unimaginable wealth for a select few white European men, and today’s generation still craft the country for their earning prowess, learned from their forefathers. Fortunes may be won and lost, but tribal nations lost homeland and will never get it back. Imagine having everything you need, being deeply rooted somewhere for thousands of years, then within two generations, being almost wiped out completely by frontiersmen importing disease and colonial laws your culture has no concept of. In 1755, the governor of Massachusetts put a scalp bounty on The Penobscot (greater Abenaki), who were becoming “hostile” as more settlers pushed them out of their ancestral lands. The fur trade had also reduced wildlife down to unsustainable numbers, causing winter starvation for many First Nation People. After reading The Phips Bounty Proclamation, I found it hard to understand why any Abernaki, especially an “Indian princes” would help English settlers with their colonizing, unless coerced under duress.

It might make our ancestors look a little less draconian to slip in a sympathetic story of noble savages, but we ourselves are the true savages, and continue to perpetuate dominion today. Americans are not generally thinking about how to live together, with the land, as one people. It’s not in our cultural heritage to share or believe we are owned by the land- just the opposite in fact. Our justification for this continued shortsightedness? The fear that someone else might come and take it from us. We perpetuate this action ourselves, believing we have a right to things, not that we have a responsibility to tend and let live. Standard and Poor continues to reaffirm economic dominion, along with a legacy of historic homes, lands, and titles we stole from people we thought less than ourselves, and still do. Not many people are signing up to give stolen land back, but we can at least stop claiming to have been friends with the best intentions for our tribal neighbors in the early days of America’s founding.

It was not by accident that this post happens on American Thanksgiving. Please take a moment to look up which tribes once lived where you and your family are now and take a moment to give thanks for the people who were tread under our stars and stripes as we perpetuate The American Way- a way of prosperity through taking what is not ours to claim- place. It is our place now to look at the history and learn the truth about our ancestors and the abuse they brought upon a land never intended for them. Though acknowledgment and the renewal of America’s true history, we can perhaps, better understand what it takes to perpetuate mass consumerism and convenience for the few at the cost of so many. How can things change? It’s starts with learning the truth about out past and at least accepting our ancestor’s failures to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Check out Land Back movements around the world and ask how you might help.