“The grass is always greener on the other side.” Perhaps you’ve heard that saying before. People are restless. They go far and wide, logging in thousands of miles in the air or on the road to see and experience something different from where they came. I’m no better; I went to Florida 5 years in a row for two weeks in December to experience Christmas among palm trees, and for my kids to experience Sea World and Busch Gardens. We’re done with Disney; I should be getting paid to stand on those lines. Twenty-plus hours driving one-way is a long way. Some people go further and fly like birds to Italy, France, the UK, or even the beaches of Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic. Their phones are full of photos of these beautiful places. Maybe one day I will follow, but for some reason I’ve never had a strong inclination or desire.

I’m more in line with Billy Joel. Perhaps not with the city of New York, but I get his sentiment:

“Some folks like to get away

Take a holiday from the neighborhood

Hop a flight to Miami Beach

Or to Hollywood

But I'm taking a Greyhound

On the Hudson River Line

I'm in a New York state of mind.”

Before a commonly coined phrase, it seemed he was referring to the “staycation.” I guess I just don’t want to vacate my premises but instead stay on my hill. Life is constantly pulling me away; whether it’s for work, family, or what not. Some of this pull is my own fault, some of it is not, but all I really want is to stay on my side of the mountain. Let the change come to me; that is the beauty of living in an area with four seasons after all.

The staycation I’m most looking forward to is deer season. Deer hunting is the ultimate “staycation.” You can travel far and go out west to hunt elk, mule deer, or monster Midwest whitetails, but I prefer to stay closer to home. It is during this time of year – while waiting in a tree-stand – that one can take in his surroundings and learn much more about it. Even after growing up where you now live, there is always something that is overlooked. A missed deer sign, an abundantly fruitful oak or apple, an old stone foundation, etc. Then there is all the unsuspecting wildlife: gray and red foxes, coyotes, black bears, curious squirrels, hawks, owls, beaver, mink… you get the point. Things don’t necessarily have to be new either. It’s a warm feeling to return to the same areas, corners of forests, or familiar tree-stands year after year. These small places – whether high up on the mountain or tucked away behind some houses – have become extensions of my home.

Growing Roots

This is something I believe that is most missing in today’s culture: the benefits of home, of roots, of the staycation. In one extreme case, I remember years back working at the head of some remote hollow with another forester outside Livingston Manor in Sullivan County. We had finished for the day and had arrived back near the truck. Before stepping foot onto the narrow road, there was a small cemetery plot with names that were the same as the hollow we were in. We wondered if these people ever left that hollow or “their side of the mountain.” These mountain people represented a time when the pendulum swung far toward the “staycation” and folks were extremely well-rooted in their area or hollow. They probably knew every square inch of their farm and the forest above it used for timber and firewood. “Invasive” species didn’t have a chance with these rooted folks since they were constantly on the scene to pluck away any unwanted weeds.

Fast forward to today, and the pendulum has swung extremely to the opposite end. People are rootless, barely stay in the same place year-round or even monthly. Most do not live where they grew up, few live where they will retire, and many have children that will live somewhere else other than their current home. Of course, there are benefits to being a world traveler and seeing other places and cultures. I don’t deny this. However, I also agree with what my Environmental Interpretation professor said back in the early 2000s at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science & Forestry. “It takes about 10 years to get to know a place.” He was referring to the job of an Environmental Interpreter at a small park outside Syracuse, NY. I would argue it takes a lifetime or more to get to know a region like the Catskill Mountains.

Perhaps your plot of land is quite small or between 1 and 20 acres. It still takes a considerable amount of time to understand your site, the plants that can grow on it, its trees, soils, and how to manage them. Hunting and hunters – like farming and farmers – must be on the land and put time in to understand it and be successful. They must make mistakes, learn from them, adapt, try again, and hopefully then be successful.

Keeping a garden, growing fruit trees, or managing forests is no different. I often hear members complain about invasive species, when in most instances these are just “weeds” that have become out of control from our culture’s “abroad” tendencies and transient homeownership. In other words, if you never weeded your garden, would you be surprised that there were weeds? There is a reason for the saying, “The best garden is the one outside the window,” or something like that.

Many of us do not make a living from the land or have the time. We must do the best we can. Fortunately, there are resources to speed up that 10-year window “to get to know a place.” Resources like the Catskill Forest Association and other online resources to familiarize yourself with an area are huge advantages we have over our ancestors. However, if this knowledge is never put into practice, it really doesn’t mean much. You can learn all you want by reading about apple trees but without planting one, you’ll never know how they will do.

In other words, start small. Learn from planting demonstrations and begin planting yourself. Attend chainsaw education workshops, cut some trees, attend edible and medicinal walks to familiarize yourself with these plants, visit a local sawmill to see how some make their living from the woods and make lumber, engage hunters to find out why they still hunt in 2026, etc. Listen to CFA’s From the Forest radio show for a variety of topics – www.catskillforest.org/radio. Hopefully, see you around.