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Culture Artist
November 2007
Friday November 30, 2007
Posted by: Culture Artist at 11:41PM EST on November 30, 2007
by Chuck Hall
As the demand for alternative forms of energy continues to increase across the nation, American farmers are discovering a new ‘crop.’ All across America, farmers are now harvesting wind energy and reaping the rewards. Monday November 19, 2007
Posted by: Culture Artist at 11:03AM EST on November 19, 2007
Last week I discussed some of the
spiritual aspects of going off to live in the wilderness as a means of
self-discovery and growth. Such experiences can be very rewarding, but many
readers wonder about the practical aspects of survival during such a journey.
This week’s column will examine how to prepare yourself physically and mentally
so that there are no surprises when you set off on your
adventure.
The first consideration is how isolated you intend to be, and for how long. Hiking deep into a national forest for a month or two will require different preparations than going on a primitive camping trip for a week at a campground. Both experiences have their values, and a little nature is better than none at all. It’s up to the individual to decide how much is enough. If you’re planning a longer stay with more isolation, you’ll have to figure out how much you can carry and how much you can live off the land. In any case, you should never go off into the woods without letting someone know exactly where you intend to be and for how long. I’d recommend carrying a cell phone or some other type of GPS locator device in case of emergency. It’s also a good idea to scout the area you intend to stay in first so you can make sure your cell phone will work in a remote location. If you plan to be in a remote location for an extended time, it’s a good idea to have a physical exam. Tell your doctor what you plan to do. You don’t want to be stranded alone in the woods during a major illness or other trauma. It might also be beneficial to engage in some sort of exercise program for a few months before you go. Hiking in the woods is a physically demanding activity, and it’s not easy if you’re not in shape, especially if you’re carrying a backpack full of supplies. Make sure your supplies include a first aid kit! The next step is to become an expert on the local flora and fauna. It helps to know what is safe to eat and what is not. You can supplement your food supplies with fruits and vegetables that grow wild in nature. I wouldn’t recommend hunting unless you know that the animals you kill are free of diseases. And of course, if you plan to hunt, you’ll need the proper permits and weaponry. When I had my wilderness experience, I ate only vegetables and fruits. Buying meat at the grocery store is an entirely different experience from having to kill and field dress an animal yourself. Going through such an experience makes becoming a vegetarian a lot easier! If you own the parcel of land you plan to camp on, you might want to clear an area for a small garden in the early spring, plant some fruits and vegetables, and return during the summer for an extended stay. That way you can be reasonably sure that you will have enough food for your adventure. The most important consideration is having a fresh supply of water. There's plenty of online info about where to find fresh water and how to purify the water from streams or springs. Practice finding your own water and purifying it before you go. Another consideration is the timing. It's better to make such an excursion in the spring, when most of the native plants are at their peak. Buy several field guides and prepare yourself for at least six months beforehand by studying the local plant life. Be careful that you know the difference between poisonous plants and edible ones. Stay away from mushrooms unless you've had at least a year of training from someone who's an expert in edible mushrooms. Once you feel confident that you have mastered all the challenges of a wilderness experience, set off on your journey. Keep a diary or a journal so you may share your experiences later. If you make such a journey, I’d love to know how it turns out! Chuck Hall is a graduate student and author. His latest book, Green Circles: A Sustainable Journey from the Cradle to the Grave, is now available at the Culture Artist Web site at www.cultureartist.org. You may contact Chuck by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org. Saturday November 10, 2007
Posted by: Culture Artist at 12:57AM EST on November 10, 2007
In my latest book, Green Circles: A Sustainable
Journey from the Cradle to the Grave, I devoted a chapter to my experiences
living in the woods of the Appalachian foothills. At that time I had gone into
the woods on a quest of self-discovery. I built a small cabin on a three-acre
parcel I owned, and lived off the natural resources around me. As I became
adjusted to this lifestyle, I noticed that my perceptions about the world
underwent several permanent and life-altering changes. I learned a great deal
about myself, about the natural world around me, and about what it means to live
as a spiritual being having a human experience.
A lot of people began their spiritual journeys by going off into the woods. Buddha did it, Jesus did it, Mohammed did it, Moses did it, the Native Americans did it, and so did most of the great spiritual leaders throughout history. There is something about seeing the wild places firsthand that awakens our deeper, more intimate and personal levels of awareness. Science in recent years has begun studying the psychological aspects of wilderness experiences. In a 2005 study, van den Berg & Heijne researched some of these characteristics. The study, Fear versus fascination: An exploration of emotional responses to natural threats, explains that there are two basic types of attentional focus: focus and fascination. Focus is the type of attention we experience most often in artificial environments. Human hands make most of the things we see indoors. Since we evolved in the wilderness, but have only been living in artificial environments for a few thousand years, our brains are wired to be ‘on guard’ in unfamiliar surroundings. The more primitive parts of our brains recognize artificial places as somehow alien. Because of this, we tend to use more energy to focus our attention while indoors in order to avoid these man-made distractions. Fascination is the type of attention we tend to experience more outdoors. The deeper, older parts of our brains recognize natural environments as something familiar, so we tend to use less mental resources for focusing attention. This means that more mental energy is available to generate more meditative states. So unless a bear is chasing you, you’re calmer and more relaxed in the woods or on a beach. Serenity is a prerequisite to spiritual events, so experiencing nature is highly conducive to spiritual awareness. While nature helps you to achieve serenity much more easily, it’s hard to be serene when you’re cold and hungry. Many of the people who’ve read my book have written to ask about the practical aspects of living in the wilderness. They want to seek their own spirituality in nature, but they’re not sure how they would manage to survive in the meantime, so I thought I’d address some of the more mundane tasks of having your own Walden experience. Next week we’ll look at how to prepare yourself for your own journey of discovery in the wilderness. Chuck Hall is a graduate student and author. His latest book, Green Circles: A Sustainable Journey from the Cradle to the Grave, is now available at the Culture Artist Web site at www.cultureartist.org. You may contact Chuck by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org. Friday November 2, 2007
Posted by: Culture Artist at 12:56PM EST on November 2, 2007
The
first Culture Artist column was published on November 9, 2006 in my hometown
newspaper, The Press and Banner, in Abbeville, South
Carolina. Only a year later, this column has grown from a readership of a little
over 5000 to over two million readers in nearly seventy newspapers on three
continents! It has succeeded beyond my wildest expectations. The fact that
readership of this column has grown so quickly tells me that there is a great
global hunger to live in more ecological ways.
As I’ve gotten feedback on the past year’s columns, I’ve noticed a trend developing among the readers. In addition to a desire to manage natural resources in a sustainable manner, many readers talk to me about managing their lives sustainably. I found this to be an interesting and intriguing idea. What if there is a sustainability of the soul? What would that look like? I believe that if there is any such thing as the human spirit, it is a renewable resource just as valuable as any other. Everyone needs some time in a special quiet place to replenish their spiritual energy. I believe that a truly sustainable society would respect the inherent worth and dignity of all of its members, encouraging human growth and development. We all have a favorite person or group we love to oppose, whether that opposition is based on race, religion, politics, favorite sports team, choice of musical taste, favorite ice cream, or any other label we choose to hang on that amorphous "they,” but a sustainable culture would work diligently to minimize such differences by focusing instead on the things we have in common. Far too often clashes of beliefs and perspectives lead to misunderstandings, arguments, fights and even wars. To prevent such events, all we need to do is to keep talking to each other and trying to understand each other. By respecting the person behind the belief, we will come a lot closer to a peaceful world. With that in mind, a group of people who are concerned for the environment have banded together to form the Culture Artist Organization. This organization will be a non-profit dedicated to being a positive force for change in educating the general public in the importance of nature, ecology, and sustainable living practices. The Culture Artist Organization will do this through working with the local community and the world at large to establish educational programs and practical solutions to environmental problems, guided by the philosophical principles of Deep Ecology and sustainability. One of our long-term goals is the establishment of the Forest Moon Ecovillage. In addition to being a village modeled on the principles of sustainability, Forest Moon will also be a teaching community, allowing people interested in such communities to visit and gain hands-on experience in green living. By sharing with each other, we help to create not only a sustainable ecosystem, but a sustainable human spirit as well. If you would like to learn more about the work of the Culture Artist Organization, please visit our website at: www.cultureartist.org. Chuck Hall is a graduate student and author. His latest book, Green Circles: A Sustainable Journey from the Cradle to the Grave, is now available at the Culture Artist Web site at www.cultureartist.org. You may contact Chuck by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org. |
