The new guy

Hey all you woodsmen and woodswomen,

My name is Andre, and I’m here to give you the latest and greatest from the back forty.

For those of you wondering where the back forty actually is, look no further than your back yard. Or at least beyond the back yard, and beyond the next farm field. The back forty is a colloquialism used to describe the forest beyond a farm field. Historically the size of a farmers forest was around 40 acres, hence “the back forty”.  But I digress. This, being my first blog post, I see it as only fitting that I introduce myself and my purpose.

To keep things light, I have decided to do this introduction as a rhyme.

So here we go.

Of all the places I like to be,

Beneath the shade of a canopy,

Amongst the spruce and larch and pine,

It’s here I like to spend my time.

There are just so many things to see,

Enough to pique curiosity,

Where do trees come from, and how do they grow,

Some grow so quickly, and others so slow,

With too many questions of un-satiated knowledge,

I packed up my bags, and head off to college,

There I found out where trees do come from,

As trees grow older, they in turn produce young,

I also learnt of the varying growth speed,

It happens to be the amount of sunlight they need,

I became aware of that which a forest could support,

Not merely a place for me to cavort,

Nutrient cycling, raw materials, and climate regulation,

Cultural, ecotourism, and of course recreation,

Forests are not here for our exploitation,

Rather, a sustainable resource to support our whole nation.

Ok, I admit the AABB stanzas need a little work. Hopefully they got a message across. If you are still hung up on “time” and “pine” not rhyming, let me flush this out. I’m really excited to take up the torch and meet anyone who is as curious about forests as I am. For the first couple weeks Ann will be taking me around and introducing me to everyone. I look forward to spending time will all you woodspeople in the classroom and on the trails.

Signing out from the back forty,

Andre