Chopping Down Stereotypes

 

On Monday, November 9^th, the Vanguards packed into a couple vans and rumbled down the road to a local logging site in the Three Lakes area. Here, we were given the unique opportunity to hear first hand from a logger the practices of logging and the philosophy behind it. It was an interesting experience to hear from a party so passionate about their work and educating others on their purposes.

I don’t know about my fellow Vanguards, but for most of my life, the word “logging” usually conjured up the image of an overly-masculine male, sporting a full beard and flannel, crashing through the underbrush wielding a large axe, felling trees left and right for survival, fitness, and mainly, because it’s the manly thing to do. As intriguing of a description as this may seem, I had no urge whatsoever to verify or bust this stereotype that sat in the deep recesses of my imagination. I would be lying if I said I was excited for this cultural immersion day trip, mainly because that stereotypical image of a lumberjack had fermented in my mind for so long, I had accepted it as truth. Imagine my surprise when upon arriving at the logging site, we were greeted by a well-spoken, semi-clean shaven gentleman with not a single flannel or axe in sight.

We spent the next few hours listening to Dennis, owner of Enterprise Logging, as he opened our eyes to the true nature of logging. Contrary to popular belief, logging has evolved from the days of mass-mutilating acres of trees to a process summed up in three words: sustainable resource management. Gone are the masses of men, swarming through the forests and felling every shrub within reach. Now days, one can find small operations of trained and purpose driven professionals, pocketed throughout the woods carefully harvesting trees through the use of massive, computer-driven machines. Each uprooted tree is reaped with intention and the land is carefully maintained so as to ensure the continued growth and prosperity of other trees.

It’s a humbling experience to be immersed in the truth of concepts outside of our knowledge. We were incredibly thankful for the opportunity to learn the truth about logging. It goes to show just how little we know and how much information is waiting to be discovered. We look forward to continuing to explore the Northwoods!

— Seth, Vanguard