The conservationist

I've got two boys. And I want them to have the opportunity to hunt wild food when they're old enough.

On a rational level, I've always understood the need for conservation and sustainability. But it took a particular quote before I realised that hunting is also about heritage.

I read it in a book called The Unforeseen Wilderness: An Essay on Kentucky's Red River Gorge (1971), by Wendell Berry.

I love this quote for the way it shifts perspective.

Let's see if you agree. Wendell Berry talks about conservation, and here's what he says:

"We can learn about it from exceptional people of our own culture, and from other cultures less destructive than ours.

I am speaking of the life of a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children."

I don't know what you say, but I think it's beautiful.

And it informs the way we do things at RedKettle.

We aim for optimal solutions. We look for the best materials. But that can't be at the cost of nature.

We're not perfect, but we keep improving. And Wendell Berry's quote helps us steer in the right direction.

By the way, I'll talk more below about how I think "the cook" has a big say when it comes to conservation. In a practical way. More on that later.

Let's talk about the outdoorsman.