Author Archives: JohnMatel

Harvesting Diamond Grove

Posted on March 12, 2020 by JohnMatel

The crews are working hard on thinning the Diamond Grove unit. It will change the face of my first forest. The size of the trees is surprising.  When I see them being harvested and look at the thinned places, it … Continue reading →

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Thinning on Diamond Grove prep day

Posted on March 9, 2020 by JohnMatel

They are getting the equipment in position to thin 110 acres on the Diamond Grove place. This was my first forest. I feel very strongly about all my forest units, but his one is special as the first. When I … Continue reading →

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Sicily

Posted on March 7, 2020 by JohnMatel

Chrissy & I went to Smithsonian for a program “Sicily: Eternal Crossroads of the Mediterranean.” It was a disappointing program. I thought it would be something like what the title suggested. In fact, it was more a semi-technical art history … Continue reading →

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Kids and trees

Posted on March 6, 2020 by JohnMatel

Kids and trees Some HS kids are coming to plant trees as part of some sort of sustainability project. I don’t believe sustainability is enough. We strive to regenerate. That is what I will tell them when they come. Thanks … Continue reading →

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Cândido Rondon

Posted on March 5, 2020 by JohnMatel

Cândido Rondon is not well known enough even in Brazil, even though there is a state – Rondônia – named after him, and certainly not as well as he deserves outside the country. I had not heard of him before … Continue reading →

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A new town

Posted on March 1, 2020 by JohnMatel

A whole new town sprung up where there were fields & parking lots not long ago. It is called “the Buro” and it is a mixed use development. Mixed use is good. For many years after WWII zoning rules discouraged … Continue reading →

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Tree Farm Leadership Conference in Baltimore

Posted on February 29, 2020 by JohnMatel

I think people should have business cards. I don’t know why people don’t or even if it was a general habit outside my peculiar circle, but I do know that my memory for names and numbers is not good enough … Continue reading →

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Life’s twists

Posted on February 27, 2020 by JohnMatel

I questioned my memory. After all, it happened so long ago and seemed incongruous. Today, however, at the Tree Farm meeting I was talking to a woman from Wisconsin who asked me if I had a degree in forestry. I … Continue reading →

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We need GMOs

Posted on February 27, 2020 by JohnMatel

Too much about the Tree Farm Conference to write about, so I will hit only a few highlights. GMOs Standards of sustainability may not permit the use of GMOs.  Our standards conform to European-based standards of PEFC.  Europeans often have … Continue reading →

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Longleaf resilience and Espen on the ATV

Posted on February 23, 2020 by JohnMatel

Checking out my recently burned longleaf, I discovered that they are already starting to grow of the season, very early. The remarkable thing is that even “completely burned” branches are coming back, as you can see in the picture. My … Continue reading →

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