This amazing animal was hiding, silent and cool, beneath the mulch. Waiting . . .
There were other things to be found in the garden. Not only the growing plants, such as the odd, bright red peony shoots emerging from the ground, but another unexpected resident — this large beetle. He seemed hardly able to keep to his feet on the uneven ground. Time and again he tumbled down small hillocks and lay there for a moment, waving his sharp feet in the air before he righted himself and trundled onward.

It’s clear that all sorts of creatures are busy in the garden this spring — not just Rebecca. From the microorganisms in the soil to the chickens scratching about looking for bugs, the garden is already becoming a happenin’ place.

“Look at this!” Another child had broken apart some ice from a stream and was holding up a large pane.

“A bone! I found a bone!” This child was running through the woods with a deer bone.

These were the sounds that accompanied us as we led four groups of third-graders on ‘wilderness survival’ treks last week. Our intent was to teach them the basics of wilderness survival and lost-proofing, along with how to build an emergency shelter. We were able to hold to task, but each group of kids created their own experience, wandering in different paths and finding new treasures and places to explore.

Kenton dressed in his leathers and went by his ‘woods name’ of Red Fox. Rebecca brought a backpack with extra hats and clothes in case any of the kids grew chill. Her woods name was Bat. Each of the children chose their own woods names, opting for such creative ones as Dire Wolf, Vole, Tiger Lily, and Southern Bog Lemming (is there such a creature?).

Although the intended arrangement was we adults as teachers and the children as students, it often doesn’t work like that in the woods. Kids’ sense of adventure and curiosity soon turns the dry lessons of adults into a romp through a wonderland of smells, tastes, and sights. Chipmunks are alternately watched or chased, golden birch (yellow birch) provides a minty snack, and paper birch reveals a white powder on its bark that is perfect for painting on cheeks and noses. Going out into the woods with kids is always a reminder that the world is full of mystery and wonder — it becomes dull or boring only if we lose that sense of exploration.

Thanks to all the kids who took us out on those woods adventures. You taught us a lot more than we taught you!

It’s this last that bothers me. As companion hunters, they have learned how to herd rabbits into their jaws. Once or twice they’ve cornered and killed a raccoon. I can’t be sure, but I think that once they even killed one of the wild turkeys that have played such a powerful part in my own life.

With their tendency to ravage the wildlife, I’ve always considered them a negative impact on the local ecosystem. When they bring a rabbit back to the yard and sit down to share it, I admit that I sometimes have looked forward to the future, when their lives are lived and we no longer have dogs. Instead of torn and broken rabbits lying in the snow or grass, I imagine rabbits under our bird feeder, deer coming into the yard, and having to chase raccoons off the deck with a stick. In short, I imagine a healthier ecosystem where Rebecca and I are able to re-connect with the wildlife that our dogs spend their lives terrorizing.

Rethinking

Lately, we’ve been reading Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg. In the book, the author presents a convincing argument, citing many field ecologists’ work, that apex predators play a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Interestingly, they do this not only by regulating the number of their prey, but perhaps more significantly, by creating a culture of ‘fear’ (I’d prefer to call it a culture of awareness or vigilance) among the prey. In other words, the prey’s behavior is altered when they are aware that predators share the forest with them. In Yellowstone, the scientists found that elk tend to avoid the edges of streams when wolves are present. Stream edges are places where elk can be easily trapped by wolves, and the elk know it. Without as many elk, the willows can grow, which creates healthy stream banks for many species. The result is that the riparian ecosystems have seen a powerful recovery since the wolves have been re-introduced.

Here at our own land, we’ve often noticed that our six acre plot seems strangely abundant when it comes to certain plant species. We have raspberries and black raspberries. In the spring, the trillium blooms, and our woods are home to bloodroot, soloman’s seal, hepatica, and jack-in-the-pulpit, all in abundance. Yet, during our hikes in the surrounding woodlands, we’ve found that these plants are much more difficult to come by. We haven’t seen trillium in any of the hundreds of acres that surround us, there are scant wild berries to be found in the 250 acres of woods and fields that the neighboring farmer lets us hike, and other plant species have become rare hidden gems scattered through forests that can sometimes feel a little empty.

We had never thought much of this until we began to read Stolzenburg’s book, and to consider that there might be a reason for the green abundance on our land. This is the place where our dogs most often roam, play, and hunt. Might Suka and Gryphon inspire a culture of vigilance among the prey species — the main browsers — in our ecosystem? They’ve never killed a deer (the photo above is of a deer that a hunter shot that later died of its wounds — the dogs dragged parts of it back home to enjoy), but they certainly keep the deer running. As for rabbits, the dogs play at least a small part in keeping the numbers down.

Now I find myself pondering something new. When the dogs are gone, perhaps we will indeed have the rabbits and deer coming back to our land. But what, I wonder, will happen to the bloodroot, the soloman’s seal, and the lovely, pink-tinged trillium?

A Wild Thought

This thinking has brought me full-circle back to my year of chasing wild turkeys. What might happen if (in addition to re-introducing apex predators), humans took up a new ’sport’ — Wild Running? Might not cross-country, on/off- trail, and ultra runners have some fun, connect with nature, and also do some ecological good if they began taking their running out into the wildlands? What if humans began chasing animals?

I know, it’s an odd proposal. Yet consider what it might do. The Wild Runner’s goal wouldn’t have to be to catching an animal. Indeed, if an animal turned out to be injured (as did one deer I began chasing last autumn), the runner could give up the chase and search for a healthy animal to pursue. The goal wouldn’t be to catch animals — only to give chase. The human runners would be fulfilling half the role of the apex predators — inspiring a culture of vigilance among the prey. If enough people in a given area took up the ’sport’, it might alter the prey’s behavior enough that some of the browse might return. With a return of the plants, native butterflies and songbirds might come back to the area. Insects and amphibians that were no longer supported in the ecosystem might find it suitable once again.

At the very least, it would get people out into the woods more. I can envision a culture of minimally-shod or barefoot runners enjoying long runs through the wild places, connecting with nature and bringing back stories of their adventures. At best, if such runners were set loose into areas that have suffered “trophic cascade” (a loss of numerous species that is triggered by the removal of apex predators), it might alter the browsers’ behavior enough to make at least a small difference in the health of various ecosystems throughout the world.

What do you say? Anyone want to join me on a Wild Run, chasing the deer or the elk?

Photo courtesy of Treasures of Oz

Ozaukee County is across the state from us on the shores of Lake Michigan, and we’ve never explored there ourselves. However, they have a lot of land that is set aside as natural areas, and Treasures of Oz is using some unique and creative ideas to get people out adventuring. On July 24th, 2010, participants will get ‘passports’ and a map that will guide them to a number of different natural areas in Ozaukee County, including bluffs, bogs, wetlands, prairies, and more. The tour will combine nature education with good, outdoor fun.  They have ideas to encourage people to bike or use efficient vehicles while visiting the sites, and are bringing together a diverse community of volunteers, nature experts, and even musicians to make the event a day to remember.

This is the sort of creative energy that can make a real difference in our relationship with our planet. Many people aren’t aware of all the opportunities for getting out in nature, many of which are right in our own communities. Our hope is that Treasures of Oz is not only wildly successful, but that it serves as a model for other communities as they explore ways to promote their natural areas and get people out of the house and into the woods, deserts, prairies, mountains, and shores.

Way to go, Treasures of Oz!

Some people think it’s weird that we enjoy going barefoot, but for us there is nothing quite like the feel of leaves or grass or stone (or yes, at this time of the year, even snow!) underfoot. Unconstrained by shoes, your toes can wiggle gloriously, and you get to feel the tendons and muscles of your feet moving and flexing after they’ve been stuck immobile in shoes and boots all winter long.

Some experts are beginning to suggest that shoes aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. In the book Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall, the author cites numerous studies that show that wearing high-tech running shoes, for instance, actually increases our risk of injury. It turns out that our feet are marvelously designed, and that most foot problems might actually be caused by our shoes, which effectively act like casts on our feet, restricting movement (think muscle atrophy and reduced flexibility), cutting us off from the ground, and creating a moist, dark, hot environment perfect for growing fungus and other interesting organisms. In other words, we think our feet are tender, weak, and ill-designed, but most of us have never given them a chance to build muscle and flexibility. What might happen if we set them free?

Perhaps shoes aren’t actually evil, but Rebecca and I are often happier without. If you begin early in the spring, walking on the pavement where the snow has melted, the bottoms of your feet will become conditioned, and by summer you’ll amaze everybody by being able to run over gravel and go for unshod walks through the woods. After some spring conditioning, I’m able to rock-climb, backpack, and enjoy long-distance runs, all without shoes.

If you’ve never given barefoot a try, we’d encourage you to give it a chance this summer — perhaps on some lush grass — and see what it’s like to experience your toes moving through the green. If you want to try going full-on extreme super ultra barefoot, then now’s the time to kick off those shoes and start walking sans shoes wherever the snow has melted!

The First-Time Barefooter’s Guide to Getting Started

It’s simple. Just take off your shoes. Start around the house, to get some initial conditioning on your soles, and to begin to strengthen the muscles and tendons. Feet that have been cloistered in shoes for a long time have to remember what it’s like to flex, stretch, and wiggle. You’ll be building up strength through your ankles, as well as throughout your foot.

When it’s warm out, try going outside. Soft grass is the best place to begin your outdoor adventures. It’s a marvelous feeling to immerse your toes in grass, and your chances of getting a puncture wound are minimal. If you enjoy this, you can try a little more. Purchase some flip-flops or open sandals, which will let your feet breathe (if you have issues with fungus they’ll soon disappear once you get your feet breathing again). Plus, flip-flops are easy to slip off if you see a path or stretch of grass that beckons.

The Extreme Barefooter’s Guide to Going Shoeless

Purchase yourself some flip-flops or sandals, and unless it’s absolutely necessary, never put on socks or shoes again. (Here in Wisconsin, temps drop so low that at some point you have little choice but to boot up.) I begin conditioning in early spring, walking down our paved country road. I’ll walk on the road itself, venture over to the shoulder, and walk through patches of ice and snow. Sometimes I even sort of scuff my feet or wiggle them in sand. This is all to condition the soles, which will develop soft callouses and will become less sensitive to things.

Then comes the fire. Do this at your own risk, obviously, but I’ve found that if I warm the bottoms of my feet over the campfire (as I would my hands), and then give them small doses of hotter temps, my feet seem to quicken on their way to getting barefoot-ready.

Next comes jogging. I find that my gait is naturally different (no heel strikes) when I run barefoot, and by doing short distances I begin to build foot strength and flexibility. After that it’s a process of gradually adding more running distance and more extreme terrain. A month after training begins, I can go almost anywhere that I’d wear shoes (except into nice restaurants and such, which seem to frown on the practice =)

For the Rest of Us

One last option is to try some of the new ‘minimalist footwear’. Perhaps the wackiest, funnest, and most well-designed are Vibram Five-Fingers, which are ’shoes’ that have toes. These still have the disadvantage of keeping your feet in a hot, moist environment, and they don’t allow your soles to condition (they also reduce sensation), but at least they allow your feet to stretch, wiggle, and interact with their environment. Of course, people will look at you very strangely when you wear them, since they are quite unlike any other footwear around.

If you do give bare feet a try, enjoy! Your feet will probably thank you =)

With such a quest in mind, we stopped in at our local DNR office (your country or state should have a similar wildlife management agency), and after establishing a rapport with one of the rangers, he sat us down to show us on a map where his favorite wild places were.

This knowledge in hand, we ventured out to explore old growth trees, high cliffs, waterfalls, and glacial ridges — all of which were unknown to most hikers. In all, we have five new places to adventure in, and it feels like we’ve been given access to our own private national parks.

If you’re looking for new places to adventure, stop at your local wildlife agency and see if you can get some clues as to where there are government lands, industry-owned lands, or private lands enrolled in government programs. Many places seem ‘landlocked’ on a map (they don’t have any public access), but are actually accessible if you ask how. You’re sure to find some great new realms to explore.

Happy Adventuring!