Spring is a time for jobs that have been waiting for hunting season to end and work that needs to be completed before the weather gets too warm. One of those jobs is painting and repainting boundary lines. I have started painting but still have more to do. I try to keep these lines painted to identify where our property is located and to make it easier for my family members to know where our property is located.
It works!
My grandchildren see the blue paint on the trees when we are our enjoying the forest and say "Granddaddy this is our land". It gives me a feeling of accomplishment when they know what the paint represents and that they have a sense of pride in the fact that this forest is theirs and they are to take care of and manage it.
My oldest grandson is getting to the age where he can start doing little jobs to help with the management of our property. He is learning to identify plants that grow on our property. Last week I mentioned that the Red Buckeye was starting to leaf-out, it is one of the first plants in our area to put leaves out, and he wanted me to show him what it was. He was already identifying every Red Maple we saw without leaves but by the flowers. His Dad had shown him how to do that. His Dad is an expert on plant ID. As a child he was the top scorer in the Junior 4-H Forestry contest and in high school he was the top scorer in the FFA State Forestry contest.
People talk about getting children out in the forest and away from electronics. The best way to do this is by making them a part of the forest, taking an active roll in being outdoors. Look for things they can do to help make the forest a better place.
