Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada
NATURAL WORLD PROMOTES GOOD HEALTH AND LONGEVITY June/July, 2013 issue I seldom use insect repellent on any guided hikes that I lead as I find the fog of toxins enveloping me more annoying than the insects they are designed to repel. On the rare occasions that I have used them, it was an experimental natural product that was given to me to test – actually an entire case of it. The new product was a liquid mixture of catnip and evening primrose and while it repelled every flying insect within a wide radius, it also repelled the very people I was leading, but seemed to attract a multitude of cats whenever we passed a house. I thought of that offensive natural product one very warm day last year on a hike when deer flies had at least one member of our group running back to the car, arms flailing madly. In the cool, deciduous forest though just beyond, a chorus of wood thrushes, veeries, vireos, orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks spoke of much cooler climes, accented by a backdrop of ovenbirds, chestnut-sided warblers and the occasional scarlet tanager with its hoarse robin-like calls. We were in wild north country at its best and it is always so encouraging when large properties like the one we were on are purchased for no other reason except to keep it wild and undeveloped. A conducted seven kilometre interpretive hike the following day along a former railway line-turned-shared-use trail was more routine. Our little group of 21 participants was kept busy as my co-leader and I pointed out trail side wildflowers and birds singing from nearby agricultural fields. Biting insects were kept at bay by a gentle breeze and wispy clouds kept temperatures pleasant. From one cultivated field, a vesper sparrow sang his jumble of notes, fittingly described by Peterson as “more throaty than a song sparrow” from a fencerow. Participants were encouraged to keep moving as a kettle of a dozen or more turkey vultures circled menacingly above our heads, cleverly riding the thermals with nary a wing beat. We need more trails and wild places like this to walk, but it is a tough sell to those who suffer from a new malady known as nature deficit disorder. We desperately need to get away from electronic devices, backyard barbeques, and televisions - not permanently, but just for a little while (I cancelled my subscription to Bell TV some time ago). We need to reacquaint ourselves with the natural world around us as we are losing it so quickly. I find it encouraging to see such a high percentage of seniors subscribe to the guided hike program that I offer each year, for it speaks loudly about our yearning to acquaint ourselves with the natural world around us, and to keep us active. Many seniors are seasoned walkers. I know of one 70+ year old who jogs eight km every day. One person in our program is well past his mid-eighties and likely shakes his head in disgust at able bodied souls who park illegally in handicapped zones and sprint into the grocery store. Another 86-year-old on our Millennium Trail hike last year completed a seven km hike without even breaking a sweat and he was most always right on my heels. Truth is, I am jealous. I want to experience the senior years like some of those who register for my hikes. Last year, I stared in amazement and admiration as an 80-year-old on a guided hike near Tamworth clawed her way up a steep granite escarpment. Upon reaching the top, she broke into an infectious smile as she gazed around her at the parade of fall colours in the forested valley below. When I reach 80 I want to be just like her and many of the others on our hikes who regard age as just a number and continue hiking long distances, challenging trails and conquering obstacles. While many on our hikes have no health issues, others do. Arthritis comes up frequently during conversations behind me, and another has Parkinson’s. Others may have different health issues, but say nothing, for today, there are no health concerns, as they consume whatever medication they need, and forge bravely ahead, refusing to give in. These people will live forever because they exercise and are always in a positive frame of mind. I was with some friends a while ago on an eight km trail at a nearby park and we talked about this – retirement, keeping active. We talked about acquaintances we know who retired and became old well before their time, due to inactivity and lack of exercise. Doing nothing is wrong at any age, but as we get older, inactivity results in becoming more withdrawn and apathetic about life in general. Learned helplessness. It starts when we lose faith in our own ability to do anything effectively. On our hikes, we talk about many things, but what is clear is our passion for walking. Not only for the exercise – one estimate is 100 calories burned for every kilometer – but also for the experience of being out in nature. There is a spiritual connection within nature that can help us make sense of this crazy world we live in. It takes a while, but eventually we learn how vitally important and connected everything is in nature. Everything we stumble upon, whether bracket fungi on downed trees, a caterpillar on a leaf, a salamander under a decomposing log, or a fall warbler snatching insects, are important links in biodiversity that are strategically interconnected. How important everything is that we see. It is only during our bumbling efforts to improve or alter, that we upset this natural scheme of things. Often we spend five hours or more on some hikes in Frontenac Park, exploring this connectivity, returning to our cars exhausted from the effort, but refreshed mentally. Hikes like this do not age us – they actually make us feel younger and more informed. An abundance of hiking trails and natural areas to explore will keep us in shape and feeling healthy. It will make us immune to the occasional prickly ash scratch, or the unexpected appearance of a boggy section along a trail, or the sudden arrival of a rain storm, or the heart stopping appearance of a black bear as has happened to us on occasion. And few of us are truly bothered with deer flies or mosquitoes as we are so immersed in the moment of everything that’s around us. The red bumps on our necks and arms and legs will disappear soon enough, but the memory of our experiences will linger with us for some time. For more information on birding and nature and guided hikes, check out the NatureStuff website at www.naturestuff.net Terry Sprague lives in Prince Edward County and is self-employed as a professional interpretive naturalist.