Place Where You Live:

Machias, NY

Ever since I was young I have loved the outdoors. The beauty of nature and all of its sights have always attracted me. 

One place I especially love to be is in the woods, and more specifically, my tree stand. I have been hunting since I was fourteen years old and feel a special connection to nature while I am doing it. Hunting has been a part of the human race since the beginning of man. The first humans were hunters and gatherers, and being a hunter makes me feel connected to the land and to the people of the past who depended on hunting for survival. Being in a tree stand allows me to see the world from a different perspective. The beauty of nature is clearly evident from this view. I am surrounded by towering trees and countless other shrubbery. The woods are full of many different colors; reds, oranges, yellows, and greens. It is very picturesque. I love being in the woods in the middle of the fall. There is no better time to go for a walk or to look at nature than this time of year. The peacefulness and calmness of being in my tree stand cannot be surpassed. It would be completely silent if it weren’t for the sound of the wind whistling through the trees, the song of a bird, or the scurrying of a little critter on the ground. Some of the best thinking can be done in the woods. When I am sitting in my tree stand I am free from distractions and I am able to reflect on things that have already happened, or think and plan out things that will happen in the future.

            Whether I am out to hunt, or just there thinking, my tree stand is a place that has a special meaning to me and that lets me see the world for the true beauty that it holds.