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David Culp

 

 

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For me, my love of nature was solidified by one special trip that I took in the summer after my junior year in college. Up until that trip, I would say that I was just a typical city boy. I enjoyed state parks and national parks as places to visit, but I would not say that I had any special concern or regard for nature any more than the average American kid.

Then, I was given a chance to take a wilderness canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The father of my roommate in my first 2 years of college was the leader of an Explorer scout troop. He needed another person to be a driver, so he invited me and my roommate to go along. We spent 10 days in the wilderness, covering about 150 miles, in both the US and Canada. It was certainly a tough experience physically, with long miles of paddling, portages of up to a mile, pushing thru knee deep mud in places, etc.

But the experience of being immersed in the wilderness without roads, cars, motels, or any other signs of civilization made a profound impact on me, which lasts to this day. I enjoyed the wildlife; moose, bears, loons, and eagles, but mainly it was just the overall experience of the natural world as perfect just by itself that impressed me. Shortly after that time I took up backpacking as well.

Now I make numerous trips every year, backpacking, and canoeing, into wilderness areas all over the country. But I also appreciate the smaller areas, even just a few acres, like the Nature Conservancy protects, when there are special plant and animal species to protect. I am deeply grateful that I gained this love of nature, and that I have been able to pursue my explorations of the wilderness for all my adult life.

-- David Culp

About the Author

David Culp is a volunteer for the Indiana Chapter, logging countless hours with our GIS system, helping identify legal boundaries and correct our maps. The Conservancy is incredibly lucky to have volunteers like David -  without them, the organization wouldn't be where we are today.