Guilt

We've lived here at Two Bears Farm for twelve years, and during that time have never logged the place.  We have 72 acres total, the majority of which is wooded.  The woods haven't been logged since the 1970s, as far as we know.

Mostly, I was opposed to logging because of the thriving wildlife.  I think of the birds and squirrels who live in the trees.  Who find their meals there.  Who may have been living in knotholes and nests for many generations.  You're probably thinking I'm a sap by now, but those animals have every right to their trees.  Not to mention other negatives - like the spreading of kudzu (of which we already have too much) and the erosion of land. What can I say?  I'm an environmentalist at heart.

Oh, I know that logging has it's good points.  Overly dense forests are prone to wildfires and all that (case in point - our neighbors set fire to their property a few months ago - I think their teens were probably smoking but they offered the firemen some wacky not-so-believable excuse).   And we are not clearcutting our land - rather thinning the older trees, which will allow for new growth.

Still.  When I heard that first big old tree crash to the ground, my heart shuddered.  Sadness filled my lungs and made it hard to breathe, just for a moment.  Nevertheless, we need the money right now, so it is what it is.

To assuage the guilt, I have taken on a few projects around the house to give back to the earth.  I finally started a recycling center, which is a semi-big deal since we don't have anywhere to recycle in our county, and will have to transport these items to a recycling place in the city.  I also invested in a reusable paper towel set, a drying rack, and dryer balls (which make the clothes dryer, when you do use it, more efficient).  These things are in addition to the small efforts we make daily already like cloth diapers and composting.

I know it's not much.  Not enough, really.  But it's something.  And hopefully these woods of ours....well hopefully they won't be logged again for at least another 40 years.

This post will be linked up tomorrow with Pour Your Heart Out at Things I Can't Say. 

I am guest posting over at My Mad World today.  Please go visit and say hi - there's an easy kid's craft and a very funny picture of Pierce too!