An Inquiry About The Old Turtle From A Reader

About the old Turtle

HI FRIENDS–I RECENTLY RECEIVED AN INQUIRY about Old Turtle from a reader interested in original sources and inspiration. It’s a good question and I tried to give a good answer. I thought perhaps some of you FB friends would be interested as well. Here is the exchange.

The Birthday of Conservationist and Author Sigurd F. Olson

Birthday of conservationist

THIS WEEK MARKS THE BIRTHDAY OF CONSERVATIONIST AND AUTHOR SIGURD F. OLSON. One of the great environmental figures of the 20th century, he ranks in importance with figures like John Burroughs and Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold and John Muir, Rachel Carson and Marjory Stoneman Douglas. His writing was lyrical and poetic, but suffused with a deep knowledge and scientific

I Have A Chipmunk Named Spot

Chipmunk named Spot - Douglas Wood

I HAVE A CHIPMUNK NAMED SPOT. Or rather he has me—as provider and admirer and wrapped around his little…er… toe. I came to be attached to Spot last summer, when he would climb up my leg as I sat on the deck and eat peanuts off my knee. Actually he would stuff them into his cheeks and run off to

The Past Four Years

The Past Four Years - Text and Drawing from Paddle Whispers

OVER THE PAST YEAR, AND PERHAPS THE PAST FOUR YEARS, many of us have occasionally struggled with feelings of being unmoored—old verities lost or questioned, a sense of being tossed and blown by ill winds we cannot control. Trees, of course, deal with similar issues. Luckily they have roots. As do we. And I believe that trees are remarkable teachers,

‘Wisdom of Nature’ Series

Wisdom of Nature Series

I AM SO PLEASED to see the first of over a dozen new book projects beginning to come to fruition with my Chinese publishing house, King-in. What I have called my ‘Wisdom of Nature’ series—a collection of six small books with brief aphoristic texts and original pen-and-ink drawings, is being produced as a lovely boxed set in China. They are

“River of Grass” by Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Grass, Tree & House - The River Grass

IN 1947 A FEISTY LITTLE 57-YEAR-OLD WOMAN NAMED MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS published a book entitled ‘River Of Grass.’ It launched a consciousness and a movement to save the Everglades, until that time thought of as a ‘worthless swamp.’ The book eventually came to be considered as significant as Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring,’ in terms of meaning and impact. When Marjory

Not So Sunny, Not So Warm Florida

Not so sunny, not so warm in florida - Pine Tree

HERE IN NOT SO SUNNY, NOT SO WARM FLORIDA, two year old granddaughter Sofie is not quite ready for grandparent hugs yet. Evidently FaceTime phone calls for a year and a half are not quite the same as in-person. But we are immensely patient. Mostly. And so VERY grateful we are able to safely make this journey and begin to

Beyond This Glass Is An Eagle Nest

Beyond this Glass is an Eagle Nest - Douglas Wood

BEYOND THIS GLASS IS AN EAGLE NEST in a tall pine. Between the glass and the nest was a 100 foot pine we had to take down two days ago. Hopefully preventing the spread of beetles and definitely allowing sunshine down to the young pines below.

The Loss Of A Grand Old Tree Friend

A Memoir Douglas Wood - The lost of a grand old tree

WELL, TODAY’S SAD NEWS of the loss of a grand old tree friend was balanced by a bit of happy news. It seems my memoir, “Deep Woods, Wild Waters” was named by Minnesota Monthly one of the top ten books of the last decade on Minnesota sports and outdoors. Who knew?! Notice sent to me by my publisher, University of