Welcome to Tom's Woodland Camp!
Glad you stopped by. Hang your snowshoes on the peg on the porch, c'mon
into the cabin, pull an Adirondack chair close to the fire, and "set
for a spell." The camp's still under construction (and likely to remain
that way), but the cabin's homelike enough, I'm sure you'll be comfortable.
There's venison stew in the Dutch oven if you're hungry, and space in the
loft if you're tired from your journey. Or if you just want to sit and "chew
the fat," I'm happy to listen
to any tales you may be of a mind to tell! As I say, glad you stopped by,
and I hope you enjoy your stay.
Note: my e-mail address has changed. If anyone has tried to contact
me using my old mcdaniel.edu address, your message will have been Lost In
Cyberspace! Please try again, at my new one: tharbold@qis.net
- thanks!
"The problem, then, is how to bring about a striving
for harmony with land among a people many of whom have forgotten there is
any such thing as land, among whom education and culture have become almost
synonymous with landlessness. This is the problem of conservation education."
Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
"Our project must be to locate a nature which is within
rather than without history, for only by so doing can we find human communities
which are inside rather than outside nature."
William Cronon, Changes in the Land
Another Interesting Quote, found on the Web:
"The society of late twentieth century America [and,
it might be added, early 21st: ed.] is perhaps the first in human
history where most grown men do not routinely bear arms on their persons
and boys are not regularly raised from childhood to learn skill in the use
of some kind of weapon, either for community or personal defense - club
or spear, broadsword or long bow, rifle or Bowie knife. It also happens
to be one of the rudest and crudest societies in history, having jubilantly
swept most of the etiquette of speech, table, dress, hospitality, fairness,
deference to authority and the relations of male and female and child and
elder under the fraying and filthy carpet of politically convenient illusions.
With little fear of physical reprisal Americans can be as loud, gross, disrespectful,
pushy, and negligent as they please. If more people carried rapiers at their
belts, or revolvers on their hips, it is a fair bet you would be able to
go to a movie and enjoy the dialogue from the screen without having to endure
the small talk, family gossip and assorted bodily noises that many theater
audiences these days regularly emit. Today, discourtesy is commonplace precisely
because there is no price to pay for it."
-- Samuel Francis, Chronicles
In memory of those killed in the terrorist attacks on September
11th, 2001:
WE WILL NOT FORGET.
May God comfort the loved ones of the victims, support
and strengthen our armed forces and law enforcement personnel, and now and
always, may
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
And may He bless and protect our troops, as we continue
the process of rebuilding a liberated Iraq.
Please pray for the safety of American servicemen and -women,
and the speedy completion of their mission.
RECENT PROJECTS
I have the honor to be Education Committee Chairman of this active
and energetic Chapter of this splendid conservation organization. Recently
updated for Spring, Summer, and early Fall of 2004. Please check this page
for information on upcoming Chapter events! NOTE: in need of further
updates, now... stay tuned!
This page is a photo-essay of my recent (end of the summer of 2002)
trip to Great Camp Sagamore, a National Historic Landmark and natural and
cultural education site in New York's beautiful Adirondack Park. It's a
"photogenic" sort of place, to say the least!
Foxhunting in Central Maryland: had the opportunity to enjoy going
out with this Hunt on several occasions (as a "car-follower")
in the late summer and early fall of '02, in the process getting some very
nice pics. The history and heritage, beauty and pageantry, of the ancient
art of riding to hounds!
TOM'S TOP PICKS
Eventually, I'll have links to several separate pages, covering various
topics of interest to me, set up; but for now, here are a selection of sites
I've found particularly interesting, inspiring, or educational. Please note
that the mere fact that a site is listed on this page does not count as
an endorsement, on my part, of the contents, views, etc., found on that
site! Please note also that I receive no compensation for any commercial
sites appearing on this or any page of my website. Thanks for your understanding!
Sites I've Recently Visited:
Founded way back in the last century by a good friend of mine (who now prefers to remain nameless online), Project
Canterbury is a truly remarkable virtual library of writings related
to the Anglican tradition of Christianity. Quite an amazing accomplishment,
even given the fact that this is an all-volunteer site: no one gets paid anything for transcribing
and collating this amazing online archive. Please check it out!
Finally, one of my favorite magazines has a web presence! Somewhat
ironically, in a way, considering that its editorial staff is mostly Amish...
At any rate, as the website puts it, "Farming Magazine celebrates
the joys of farming well and living well on a small, ecologically-conscious
scale. It explores the intricate bonds connecting people, land, and community
and it offers a hopeful vision of the future of farming in America. The
magazine is created in the spirit of stewardship for the earth and regard
for its inhabitants. " Farming Magazine is the brainchild of David
Kline, Amish farmer, writer, and philosopher, whose books -- Great
Possessions and Scratching
the Woodchuck -- are quiet testaments to hope, and the joy of a life
lived close to the land.
MODA defines itself as "an organization dedicated to keeping our
country's heritage alive and show how oxen can be used even in this modern
world," and that they certainly are! I was fortunate enough to meet
Vicki Solomon, President of MODA, and Bill Speiden, a member of the Board,
when they came bringing four teams of oxen with them to "Moovin'
the Big Log: Working Cattle at Piney Run," an event I organized at
the Nature Center where I work.
Represented were Brown Swiss (from giant adult oxen to adorable li'l
calves-in-training), Dutch Belted, and Irish Dexter breeds; 'tis the latter
I'm seen driving (thanks, Vicki!) in the picture to the right: my first
experience at ox-droving. This multi-national assemblage of oxen did a
phenomenal job of "wowwing" the crowd, or reducing them to helpless
exclamations of "awwwww!" in the case of the calves. Vicki, with
her husband Mark, and Bill, with his young assistant Luke, were tremendously
kind to drive all the way from Ohio and Virginia, respectively. I'm very
grateful to them all!
MODA seems to be shaping up as the most notable and active organization
for ox-drovers in the country, with members not just from the Midwest,
but nationwide and even from several other countries. Upcoming is their
annual Gathering at Tillers;
see below. The Piney Run event could not have taken place without the Rural Heritage website, a complement
to Rural Heritage magazine, dedicated to supporting small family
farms and independent foresters using draft animal power: horses, oxen,
and mules.
It's long been axiomatic that not all women are ladies, and (with a
bow to those who have justifiably defended the notion that a woman's work
and worth should be equal to a man's, which should be a self-evident truth),
some of us -- myself emphatically included -- have lamented the fact that
so many women today seem determined to allow (or even cause) their lady-like
qualities to wither. Rather than "the fair and gracious sex"
civilizing us brutish men, it seems that the "sexual revolution"
has succeeded primarily in generating man-like and brutish women, and in
the process lowering overall standards of conduct and character for everyone.
This, they call progress???
Thankfully, there seems to be at least one organization dedicated to
resisting, if not indeed reversing, this lamentable trend: Ladies
Against Feminism. Here's what LAF has to say about itself:
This site is dedicated to the proposition that men and women are not
identical creatures. Are we equal in human worth? Yes. Equal before the
throne of grace? Absolutely. Equal in dignity? Indeed. But when it all
boils down to it, if you insist that "equal" means exactly the
same, you will have to fly in the face of biology, historical fact, biblical
Truth and just plain common sense. In many ways, woman is not equal to
man; and, by the same token, man is not equal to woman. They are different
creatures with differing roles. Will we complement each other in our distinctive,
God-given roles, or will we tear each other to shreds in a territorial
dispute? L.A.F. promotes the former. We are for maidenhood, modesty, virtue,
intelligence, womanly arts and femininity. Join the new revolution!
Amen to the above. God keep you, fair Ladies! Lots of good quotes
on this site, too. Even includes an excellent section on Responsible
Manhood! Although this site is coming from a somewhat fundamentalist
Protestant perspective, and I might (as a traditional
Anglican Christian) not be in full theological agreement with them
in all areas, I am deeply grateful to them for upholding standards of character,
decency, and morality which are are under attack in many sectors of society
today.
And just in case anyone thinks I think women should be "shrinking
violets," there the
I want any daughters I may by God's grace someday sire to be ladies
in every sense of the word, but I also want them to be able to conduct
themselves with competence, poise, and grace in the field, whether with
canoe, fly rod, or shotgun. And I also want them to be able to defend themselves
and their children against anyone seeking to deprive them of life, liberty,
or property! The Second Amendment is, of course, the linchpin on which
all the other rights we enjoy in this great nation of ours are supported,
and it's no less important -- in fact, in many ways, it's more important
-- for women than for me.
Other Sites of Interest:
Dedicated to sustainable agriculture, rural development, historical
interpretation, and affordable training in traditional skills, from ox-droving
to blacksmithing to timber-framing.
An outfitting service which is also the location of some splendid outdoor/primitive
skills instruction, and a superb resource
list for traditional outdoor gear.
An educational effort of the Maryland
Cooperative Extension of the University of Maryland and the Ruffed Grouse Society. The Coverts
Project has been reaching out to Maryland's individual woodland landowners
since 1990 to teach them how sound management practices can make wildlife
healthier, more diverse, and more abundant.
Heirloom Seeds is a supplier of non-hybrid, heirloom seeds for gardeners
and farmers who wish to grow natural, traditional crops.
Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization, a network of 8,000
members dedicated to saving and passing down "heirloom" varieties
of fruits, vegetables, and grains, and making them available to gardeners
throughout North America and the world.
Future Harvest-CASA is a network of farmers, agricultural professionals,
landowners and consumers living and working in the Chesapeake region and
dedicated to profitable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable
food and farming systems that work to sustain communities.
A relatively new but growing source for information, contacts, and
resources on all aspects of agriculture in Carroll County, Maryland - my
home county!
"In support of draft horse, mule, and oxen power." Excellent
website expanding on an excellent magazine! Anything and everything you
want to know about animal traction for farming, sustainable logging, and
related endeavors.
Website of the Association of Living History Farms and Agricultural
Museums. Sharing our agricultural history and heritage with the people
of today.
September 11th and War on Terrorism-related
Sites:
With the elevation of the terrorism alert Threat Level to "Yellow"
-- High Risk of Terrorist Activity -- Governor Ridge, Secretary of Homeland
Security, encouraged Americans to access the Department of Homeland Security
website to increase their knowledge and awareness of threats, and how we
might best be prepared to deal with them. Citizens
have a significant role in homeland security!
Although some of its suggestions sound like an early-21st-century version
of the old Cold War "duck-and-cover," those who wish to know
what the government suggests we do to prepare ourselves for terrorist attacks
might find the above site useful.
News on the war against terrorism from the Defense Department.
Official website of the United States Department of Defense.
Website of the United States military's Central Command, charged with
conducting Operation Enduring Freedom and other anti-terrorist operations.
"Helping America Heal": support the ongoing post-9/11 relief
efforts by donating money, blood, or effort: volunteer,
or consider a patriotic
job!
More opportunities for volunteer service to our country.
Outdoor and Conservation-Related Sites:
A program of Northland College,
devoted to the wilderness legacy and spirit of Sigurd
Olson.
Seeks to promote the care of natural resources and foster an ethical
relationship between people and land as envisioned by Aldo Leopold.
Maine Guides Garrett and Alexandra Conover refine traditions developed
over generations in canoeing and snowshoeing expeditions.
A non-profit membership association devoted to traditional wood, wood-canvas,
and birchbark canoes.
For those who like their canoes really traditional, here's a
site you'll want to check out!
An innovative and nationally-regarded conservation education curriculum.
LEP is sponsored by Pheasants
Forever.
Just what its name says! Emphasis on ecological education, especially
in Maryland's public schools.
Education opportunities through the Maryland Cooperative Extension
Service, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of
Maryland.
Excellent article on sportsmen, conservation, and the politics of catch-and-release
-- trappers, hunters, and fishermen at a parting of ways?
The branch of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources dealing
with wildlife,
hunting and trapping,
and education.
Meeting the habitat needs of ringneck pheasants and other upland game
and non-game species; please visit the homepage of the Carroll
County Chapter #622, of which I serve as Education Chairman and Webmaster.
Meeting the life-cycle needs of ducks, geese, and other wetlands species.
Less well-known than DU, Delta's programs include predator control
along with increasing habitat.
What PF is for upland species, and DU for waterfowl, the RGS is for
forest game, especially grouse and woodcock. See also the Coverts
Project.
Not just more deer -- we've got enough of them, and to spare! -- but
stronger, healthier, higher-"quality" deer.
Defending trapping as a tool for appropriate wildlife management, and
the sustainable use of a renewable natural resource: that is, furbearers.
Ethical hunting; hunter education and safety.
An alliance of conservation groups and individuals in the spirit of
"Teddy" Roosevelt.
Standing firm for our Constitutional right to bear arms for self-defense,
hunting, and recreational shooting sports.
More to come -- watch this space!
You'll notice that this page does not have frames, scrolling
text, blinking highlights, or any of the other whistles and bells that
one often sees on webpages these days. That's intentional. I do have some
large .jpg files on here, and they take long enough to load without slowing
down your system even longer for a bunch of useless, distracting, annoying
(imho) gew-gaws. Besides, I'm an intentionally low-tech sort of guy, as
you'll also no doubt have noticed. I like to accomplish what I can with
a minimum of unnecessary clutter and goofiness, especially where technology
is concerned. Like fire, "high-technology" is a good servant
but a bad master. Computers (and the internet) are useful tools, but they
shouldn't rule our lives, or distract us from what is really important.
This advice brought to you free of charge, and probably worth every cent!
Midwest Ox Drovers Association (MODA)
Let them know how much we appreciate them!