Monthly Archives: March 2019

Forest visit March 24, 2019 (1)

Posted on March 25, 2019 by JohnMatel

This was one of the rainiest years ever in Virginia. Our stream management zones were carrying more water than usual. You see in the first picture how high the water was by looking at the sand and mud that the … Continue reading →

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Forest visit March 24, 2019

Posted on March 25, 2019 by JohnMatel

I attended a talk about the need for white oak for bourbon barrels and decided to do my part for the 2050 class of bourbon drinkers by planting one of my patches with white oak. So I ordered some from … Continue reading →

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Still developing a land ethic

Posted on March 22, 2019 by JohnMatel

Land empty of people is sad and incomplete – A land full of people who overreach and destroy nature is a horror. A land empty of people is sad and incomplete. Walking gently on the earth is essential, but that … Continue reading →

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You need not eat the whole egg to know it is rotten

Posted on March 15, 2019 by JohnMatel

You need not eat the whole egg to know it is rotten. Like many Virginia landowners, I get unsolicited offers from firms wanting to exploit my land for solar farms. I throw them in the garbage. I don’t care what … Continue reading →

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A simpler and better way to choose students

Posted on March 13, 2019 by JohnMatel

This is the simple, fair & transparent solution. Determine threshold requirements based on a combination of tests, grades and courses taken. This might produce many more qualified students than places available. Then do a lottery. There is no such thing … Continue reading →

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The Study of Leadership

Posted on March 3, 2019 by JohnMatel

Who should you trust to write about leadership? Academics generally can write more eloquently and more persuasively than practicing leaders, but can they appreciate it as well? There is no such thing as writing history as it really was. All … Continue reading →

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Have you participated in any competitions? How did you do?

Posted on March 2, 2019 by JohnMatel

Have you participated in any competitions? How did you do? It is not too much to say that swim team was what I cared most about at Bay View HS. It ordered my life.  I was a good natural swimmer … Continue reading →

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