Home is where the heart is and my heart lies in the mountains. Ever since I took up skiing I have fallen in love with the majestic size and beauty of mountain peaks. My love for the mountains was heightened when my family took a vacation to Colorado. Seeing the dominating peaks of the Colorado Rockies was simply awe inspiring. The mountains capture me with four key aspects: animal life, skiing, size, and beauty. The problem I run in to is deciding where my home truly is. Is it the tranquility of the Whites, or is it the awe-inspiring majesty of the Rockies.
Frequently skiing and traveling in northern New Hampshire, I got to see a whole lot of the White Moutnains. The White Mountains of New Hampshire are mountains that take up about a quarter of the state and are home to animals, humans, ski resorts, hiking trails, and many other attractions. They are called the White Mountains because of two reasons: The highest peak (Mount Washington) is often snow-covered for most of the year, so when settlers first came to the New World, that is what they saw. The other reason they are so called is because of the granite tops of the mountains appear white to people observing at a distance. The White Mountains are the first mountains I came to know and love and will always hold a special place in my heart.
Living and breathing apart from human influence live the animals of the Whites.The White Mountains of New Hampshire play host to several species of plant and wildlife. Among these are the infamous moose, a species that once neared extinction but has since made a comeback. Along with the moose are the coyotes, deer, fox, and many other species. These animals make the White Mountains a great place to go, as a chance to see any one of these c...
... middle of paper ...
...d the ability to look out on all the surrounding peaks is powerful to say the least. All you can see while standing on top is one of the best feelings of my life and the awe-inspiring awesomeness is unmatched anywhere in the world.
Growing up surrounded by mountains has been a great source of growth for me as a person. While both the Rocky Mountains and the White Mountains hold a special place in my heart, the Colorado Rockies and all of their splendor are where I belong. Dwarfing all other mountains in the contiguous US and making all other resorts pale in comparison, the Rockies offer natural splendor that cannot be beaten. The variety of creatures and geographical features you can see when standing on top of the world is much greater than what you can see from the top of the White Mountains. It is for these reasons that I feel my home is in the Rocky Mountains.
Isle Royal is located fifty-six miles north of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. It is the largest wilderness area in Michigan (USNPS, 2014). The island is surrounded by Lake Superior, which creates a cooler temperature. This results in arctic plant species growth on the island. There are only eighteen mammal species present on the island because most mammals cannot make the trip across the frozen great lake (USNPS, 2014). The need for an ice bridge is not the only environmental factor that is stopping the migration of animals; there is also the severe cold, and also wind and fog (Vucetich, 2012). Some species such as caribou and coyote have found the island to be too intense and have gone extinct (Vucetich, 2012). Due to the harsh weather and isolation of the island, humans have never regularly lived on the island (Vucetich, 2012). Some of species that are present such as the red squirrel are becoming their own subspecies due to its separation from the mainland (USNPS, 2014). The isolation of Isle Royal is what makes it a great place to conduct research, it has very low human interaction and the species that are on the island will have been and continue to be isolated from the mainland.
Estimates are that at the turn of the twentieth century, over two million wild horses roamed free in the western United States. However, having no protection from their primary predator, man, by the 1970’s their numbers had dwindled to less than thirty thousand. In 1971, after a massive public uproar, Congress by a unanimous vote enacted the “Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act” (Act) that characterizes wild horses and burros as national treasures and provides for their protection. “Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.”
Every cold Alberta winter, or dry summer, makes me long for the East Coast. When I grow tired of the brown dirty hills of Alberta, I can close my eyes and picture being back in New Brunswick, bright green meadows and clear rivers. I miss how the fog creeps into your yard in the early mornings, the bittersweet smell of the sea that never could be washed out, I miss the feeling of home. As a child, my family and I would road trip, traveling East to the sea. I remember how the vastness of Alberta would change into the golden prairies of Saskatchewan, then shift into the forested hills of Ontario, and finally the calm rocky shores of New Brunswick. I remember the house we lived in, white paint peeling off the sides of the house, a Canadian and Arcadian flag flying on the porch (put there by my historian of a cousin), floral green wallpaper clashing with antique, mismatched furniture. That house has been in my family for generations, each of our stories have been told, beautiful new memories have been made there. I miss it so much. I miss the beach side bonfires, sparks drifting so far away they became stars, the rainy marketplace days, coming home and smelling like fish. The Alberta cold makes my heartache, I want to go home. My home is a comfortable old cabin, where I grew to not be scared of a
The author provides information describing the deer population in parts of New Jersey; yet, he does not include any data regarding the population in the rest of the United States, nor does he include any sources of where this information was obtained. A reader may be more
"The New Empire of the Rockies: A History of Northeast Colorado. BLM Cultural Resources Series (Colorado: No. 16)." National Parks Service. National Parks Service, n.d. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. .
Thesis: The population of white-tail deer in Alabama has drastically increased over the past century causing significant damage to property and homeowners, caused by hunters being less active.
Cavendish, M. (2011). North American Wildlife. (p. 109). New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference. DOI: www.marshallcavendish.us
White tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are one of the most common species of mammals seen in North America, the most common of large animals actually. The last official count of deer in the USA and Canada was done in 1982, at which time 15000000 were found at an average of 3 deer in every square kilometer. The deer are very much native and were hunted even by Native Americans.
Recently, SKI Magazine came out with its top ten ski areas in North America. The list is voted on by the magazine’s readers. It is based on things such as region, snow, grooming, terrain, challenge, value, lifts, weather, service, and off-hill activities. Not one resort from the Northeast was in that top ten. Six resorts from Colorado made the poll including Vail and Steamboat. Mountains from Utah and Idaho filled in the rest of the list as well as Whistler Mountain in British Columbia. The West dominates this poll. Not even Killington in Vermont, which is one of the biggest mountains in the country, was in the top ten.
In 1629, a group of Franciscans stationed at the village of Oraibi named the giant mountains they saw San Francisco, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi . Opinions over the use of the peaks by Native tribes and this new influx of culture are as far apart as the names they call the mountain itself. At over a mile high, the San Francisco Mountains tower over the predominantly Anglo town of Flagstaff to the south. The mountain range was actually formed by a volcano that is now inactive. These peaks have long been considered sacred ground by thirteen Native American tribes, including the Hopi and the Navajo. As the importance of the use of the peaks has intensified among both recreationally and economically for the city of Flagstaff so too has the controversy generated more heat among Native tribes. Opening in 1937, the Arizona Snowbowl is one of the oldest running ski resorts in the country. Since that time the Snow Bowl has created adversity everywhere from environmentalists to Native Americans. The only way to understand the legitimacy of these Native American claims is to take a closer look at how the peaks relate to their religion and way of life. This will be done through the two most dominant voices of the battle, the Navajo and Hopi. This comprehension is necessary in order to fully understand the hardships and tribulations many spiritual Natives have endured in trying to protect their sacred land, even when the law is seemingly on their side.
In the last decade, from the Rockies to New England and the Deep South, rural and suburban areas have been beset by white-tailed deer gnawing shrubbery and crops, spreading disease and causing hundreds of thousands of auto wrecks. But the deer problem has proved even more profound, biologists say. Fast-multiplying herds are altering the ecology of forests, stripping them of native vegetation and eliminating niches for other wildlife. ' 'I don 't want to paint deer as Eastern devils, ' ' said Dr. McShea, a wildlife biologist associated with the National Zoo in Washington, ' 'but this is indicative of what happens when an ecosystem is out of whack. ' ' The damage is worse than anyone expected, he and other scientists say. Higher deer densities have affected growth, survival, and reproduction of many plant species which have aesthetic, economic or ecological value. In some cases, many species of trees have also been shown to have reduced growth as a result of high deer density (Environmental Benefits of Hunting, 1). Deer prefer certain plant species over others and frequently feed on economically valuable tree species. For example, they prefer oak and sugar maple seedlings, as well as acorns, over less palatable species like American Beech and striped maple. Thus, less marketable species are more likely to survive to maturity,
...ly with wilderness and believe that these are the places that have touched me most deeply.
Years ago, killing animals for food was part of the average man’s everyday life. While, now a days, hunting is questioned by many across the world because it is commonly viewed as a recreational activity. Many residents have a problem with the dangers that come with hunting. Not to mention, as time goes on, society seems to feel differently about animals and how they should be treated. One of the biggest debates is the harvest of white tailed deer. All over the United States, white tailed deer thrive because of the few predators that feast upon them and the large forests and habitats that these deer can flourish in. However, as buildings and subdivisions pop up left and right decreasing the white tailed deer natural habitat, the debate grows stronger. The heart of the debate is centered around ethical issues, human and deer conflicts, safety, and the benefits hunting has on the economy.
It was a beautiful October afternoon as I climbed to the top of my tree stand. The sun was shining, and a slight breeze was blowing from the northwest. I knew that the deer frequented the area around my stand since my step-dad had shot a nice doe two days earlier from the same stand, and signs of deer were everywhere in the area. I had been sitting for close to two hours when I decided to stand up and stretch my legs as well as smoke a cigarette.
One of the most enjoyable things in life are road trips, particularly to the Colorado mountains. Getting to spend time with your family and friends, while being in a beautiful place, is irreplaceable. The fifteen-hour road trip may feel never-ending, but gazing at the mountains from afar makes life’s problems seem a little smaller and causes worries to become a thing of the past. Coming in contact with nature, untouched, is a surreal experience. My family trip to the Colorado mountains last summer was inspiring.