Ever since I was a boy, I've had a great love for nature and the outdoors. From the age of 5 or6, my father would take me fishing, hunting or just walks in the woods. It was from him that I began to develop my appreciation of our natural resources.

By the time I was 14, my best friend Eric and I were spending almost ALL our time hunting, fishing or running our nearly 5 miles of trap-line near our homes in rural Massachusetts. These activities weren't exactly the pursuits that most every other teenager was involved in at the time, but we were never considered to be 'conventional' to begin with! While a good percentage of our peers were using cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, we were uniquely happy with our corncob pipes, fishing a remote trout stream in the spring, or sitting in a duck    blind in the fall. I know some of these things may not be 'politically correct' or
even 'socially acceptable' in today's world, but we had something a lot of today's youth is missing; values, respect and common sense. Given those alternatives, I guess I wouldn't change anything!
 

                                     Eric was an Abenaki Indian, and it was at his families' property in northern Maine that we gathered an
                                     even  deeper appreciation for the environment and our natural resources. It was there that we learned,
                                     among many other things, how to trap using snares instead of steel leg-hold traps. Also somewhat of an
                                     artist, a lot of the drawings you'll see on this web-site were drawn by him.

                                     I have also been involved in the welding and fabrication industry since my late teen-age years. I've always
                                     enjoyed building things and finding ways to make things work when no one else could come up with a solution.
                                     For this reason, I offer portable welding and fabrication services to the south-west portion of Michigan.
                                     Please see the WELDING section of this web-site to learn more about my portable welding services.

                                     Today, I manage and run a 160 acre farm in Kalamazoo. Approximately 100 acres are planted with
                                     traditional 'farm crops', while the remainder are either woods or fields that cannot be used for
                                     farming. The wooded areas had been neglected prior to my arrival and I am presently working with a
                                     certified forester to manage these lands in a manner that will be conducive to native plant and wildlife
                                     species, as well as provide a source of sustainable income for many years into the future. The fields will
                                     be utilized to grow christmas and nursery stock trees.

                                     My long term goals for this property include:

                                         *Horse-drawn hay rides into the Christmas tree fields during the holiday season to allow people the
                                           opportunity to cut their own trees with an old fashioned flavor.

                                         *Host groups that are interested in learning sustainable methods of resource management.

                                         *Provide woodlot and tree farm tours.

                                         *Work in conjunction with local co-operative extension services and foresters to host seminars and
                                           workshops relating to sustainable and responsible forestry and land use practices.

                                         *Strive to meet the requirements that all products that come from this property are 'green-certified'
                                           by a third party certification process.
                                                        (Please see my 'Eco-Forestry' page for an explanation of 'green-certified' )

                                         *Above all else, demonstrate that responsible natural resource management CAN provide a
                                           viable means to make a comfortable living.
 
 

                             To learn a little more about me, my hobbies and personal interests,
                                                                   click  HERE