Another View - Archive
Woodworking in General Education
March 01, 2006
The great secret of education is to combine mental and physical work so that one kind of exercise refreshes the other. – Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
As a self-employed woodworker and writer, I have lamented the decline of woodworking programs in schools and the steady shift in education away from direct, hands-on learning.
Many years ago, …
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Community Water
December 01, 2005
Water is a remarkable substance. Like air, it is necessary for the existence of virtually all life forms. It is present – although in differing amounts – throughout the world. It moves naturally throughout the Earth’s crust and atmosphere. It respects no political boundaries or property lines.
Also like air, water traditionally is part of the Commons. Naturally …
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Forests for Whom and For What?
September 01, 2005
Foresters of a certain age will recognize the question, “Forests for whom and for what?” posed by Marion Clawson in the title of a forest policy book widely read by students learning how to juggle multiple use management.
Recreation is commonly thought of as a light use of the land, but as society gets bigger, better, faster, so …
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The Ethics of Forest Management
June 01, 2005
Imagine this situation: one fine evening, a local forester knocks on your door and asks if you had been thinking of cutting your woodlot anytime soon. As this very possibility has been on your mind, you invite him to have a seat on the porch for a moment. “The markets are strong now,” the forester says, “and your woodlot looks …
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A Contract Between Friends
March 01, 2005
A forest community is the net result of a wide variety of relationships among and between different organisms interacting in a particular place over time. The key word here is relationships. The nature of these relationships can vary widely. Some are parasitic, in that one organism benefits at the expense of another. Other relationships may be commensal, with one organism …
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No! To Congressionally Designated Wilderness
December 01, 2004
Both the Green Mountain National Forest and the White Mountain National Forest are currently updating their 15-year management plans. Wilderness advocates are pushing for more congressionally-designated Wilderness, making more acreage off limits to any motorized access or commercial activities, including timber sales.
From the perspective of wildlife, Wilderness is not necessarily a good procedure. According to New England …
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