Recently I just finished Appalachia North by Matthew Ferrence. In it, he recounts the complex relationship he still has with the land as a Northern Appalachian. Typically when I finish a book I write a Literature Appetizer to get people a taste of what they will find. Since his book is such a personal journey, I would not do it justice by recounting his life.
Many of his experiences reflect my own experience growing up in Western PA. So instead of condensing his journey, I thought I would condense mine.
The Hero’s Journey is a common literary structure where the hero of the story departs home to do a great act, and then returns victorious. My Northern Appalachian Journey is a bit different, but has a similar structure of three parts; Living in Water, Succeeding by Leaving, and The Mountains are Calling.
As a professional environmental educator, I have spent countless hours researching for papers, projects, and lessons. But I think a large part of being human is pursuing knowledge for the sake of it. It doesn't need to be a formal "end goal:" should we not research to discover how amazing things are?
Below is just a small example of how browsing the web to unwind after a long day can become a great adventure. I welcome you to learn how I discovered the Bombardier Beetle.