Summer Blues

Every summer about this time, duck hunters everywhere reach a level of withdrawal that threatens their sanity.  The inherent sanity of duck hunters is a debate for another day, but suffice it to say that 6 months without the sound of wings overhead is 6 months too long.  Some remedy this by chasing duck seasons around the world. However, in a time when international travel is a bit tricky, and many of us are playing catch-up in our work and regular life activities, we have to settle for reminiscing on past seasons.

In that vein, enjoy this short film of one of our most memorable hunts from a few years back.  It not only provides a fix for all the things we miss about duck season, but also offers some great motivation for the habitat management work that is needed this time of year in order to make these kinds of memories possible.

Even a Better Land

“Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us, and training them into a better race to inhabit the land and pass it on. Conservation is a great moral issue for it involves the patriotic duty of insuring the safety and continuance of the nation.”  -Theodore Roosevelt

There are many reasons behind why we do what we do.  Conservation for its own sake is reason enough; the inherent value of the land and wildlife is sufficient cause for our efforts to protect, promote, and enhance wild places.  The desire to leave “even a better land for our descendants” is one of our greatest motivations in our day-to-day work.  As Roosevelt so elegantly expressed, we also feel a great sense of patriotic duty to work for the preservation of the land that makes up our country.  

This sense of duty and responsibility extends beyond the actual conservation work to how we pass on the land to our children.  If we fail to instill the value of the land and wildlife and the obligation of protecting it, to each new generation, our efforts today are in vain. This purpose is arguably of even higher importance than anything we accomplish in our own time.  Training this “better race” must begin with teaching our children about the lives sacrificed to establish, build, and defend this country.  Without this understanding, we cannot hope to ignite the resolve to endure in the perpetual toil that is the work of conservation.

As Americans, we owe our home land, our culture, and our very existence to the soldiers who are buried in the graves we decorate today.  For us, one of our greatest honors is to contribute in some small way to the higher purpose that called them.  The remembrance of these lives, and the families who suffered their loss, is not enough.  We all share a collective calling to carry on their work, and “insure the safety and continuance of the nation.”

Development

“Conservation means development as much as it does protection…” 

-Theodore Roosevelt

Development can be a tricky word to use in the context of conservation and wildlife habitat.  To many, the two concepts may seem contradictory.  The term development often carries a negative connotation, associated with urban sprawl and the destruction of wild places.  However, there’s an important distinction to be made between urban development and habitat development.

Developing land for recreational use is one of the surest ways to secure it’s continued use for conservatory purposes.  When we manage a property, our goal is to enhance the natural features and habitat in such a way that creates the highest recreational value.  By doing so, we protect the value of the natural resources it holds, and further it’s use as a recreational space.  While it is easy for us to recognize the inherent value of wild places and the need for conservation, it is not a universally acknowledged concept.  John Muir, in his effort to make the case for preserving magnificent wildernesses as national parks, encountered resistance from those who did not understand the inherent value of the land, and the need to preserve it for its own sake.  Through this challenge, he discovered the paradox that these places must be developed to some degree to hold enough collective value in order to be protected.  They had to be accessible and promoted as destinations to visit.  He reluctantly accepted this necessary paradigm, and in doing so helped ensure the protection of these iconic landscapes that endures to this day.

This concept of necessary development is a guiding principle for our work.   When we improve road access, we’re making it easier for a family to enjoy their property.  When we build a new lake, we’re providing a setting where a child may catch their first fish and develop a love for the outdoors.   When we plant trees, we’re providing the opportunity for an investment return, while also providing more wildlife habitat.  All of these developments create direct and indirect benefits that further the cause of conservation.

As much as the line about conservation and development is an affirmation for us,   it’s important to also acknowledge the remainder of Roosevelt’s quote:  “I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.”  Both of these sentiments are guideposts for us as we strive for balance, thoughtfulness, and intentionality in managing and conserving lands and wildlife.

From Winter to Spring

Each seasonal change carries it’s own beauty and meaningfulness, but the period of transition from Winter to Spring outshines them all. It represents a renewal of life, and fresh opportunities; ones that we must seize while the conditions are right. It requires a quick shift from mornings in a duck blind to long days of field work. For us, it’s all a cycle, with each step building on the next. The work we put in now provides the opportunity for the upcoming season’s hunting experiences. It’s about so much more than the promise of a successful hunt, though. It’s about the wildlife and the habitat itself, and the health of the ecosystems to which they belong. Every part of the cycle contributes to our conservation goals, as well as our vision for more wildlife habitat, and a deeper connection to nature for all of us.

Watch a recap of the first quarter of our year in the film “Seasons of Conservation | Q1”

A Walk with Tradition

This time of year is a sprint, as we scramble to accomplish as much habitat enhancement as possible between the end of deer season and the beginning of turkey season. We’re collecting harvest data and antler sheds, running prescribed burns, planting trees, building and installing wood duck boxes and bluebird houses, and planning for the rest of the year. Often, the late winter quail season is overlooked, but it is a deep tradition in the south, especially in the deep piney woods of Alabama. Last February we had the privilege of gathering with some friends and family for a hunt at Cameron’s Quail Preserve. It was a weekend of rekindling friendships and sparking new ones, retelling old stories and creating fresh memories. Walking over the west Alabama prairie watching bird dogs work and testing our wingshooting felt like a step back in time, a walk with tradition, and with all the souls that roamed those fields long before us.

Reflections

2020 was a year of challenges.  We all battled difficult obstacles and faced many common struggles.  As a business, we were challenged in new ways that provided opportunities to learn and grow.  Nature’s Eye was fortunate to hold our own through the trials of last year, and continue on the growth trajectory that has come to be our norm. We proved yet again that our team can overcome anything that is thrown our way.  It is not lost on us how blessed we are to have had a growth year under the difficult circumstances of 2020, and we are beyond humbled and grateful to still be going strong. We launched two new brands last year, the Showcase Farm and Signature Properties, and had strong years for both, hosting many successful hunts and acquiring and selling multiple development properties. We were able to employ people in our community who had lost jobs, and continue doing business with local contractors and suppliers who needed the work more than ever. Inwardly, many members of our team conquered tremendous career goals and moved into new roles, helping to further our mission and strengthen all of our brands. With such tremendous blessings comes the responsibility to use them well, and we have worked diligently to make the most of our opportunities and resources. While it is never our goal to boast, or be insensitive to those in different circumstances, we feel it is important to share successes, particularly in such a time as this when positive outcomes seem rare and hope is stretched thin. 

Here are some of our favorite photos and shots from meaningful projects of 2020.  We’re eager to make the most of the opportunity 2021 brings.

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Gratitude of the Hunter

There is no deeper gratitude than that felt by hunters for their prey.  This truth has held since the very first hunter knelt beside their harvest.  The instinct to use the bountiful provision around us creates a profound connection with all living things.  The cycle of life and death requires gratitude and sacrifice.  No one understands this more thoroughly than the hunter.  Mother Nature does not yield her harvest eagerly; it is a reward that must be earned.  We approach her with humility and reverence, fully aware of the price she demands.  The knowledge that death begets life is sobering, and even more so when you contemplate playing an active role in that cycle.  Taking life to perpetuate life is a heavy responsibility, but one we gladly bear.  When this concept transforms from the abstract, to the feeling of warm blood running cold in your hand, the weight of that sacrifice can feel crushing.  Then, as you slice meat from bone, and hold your family’s next meal in your hands, you truly know what it means to be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Nature’s Eye family to yours.

Signature Properties: Conservation Minded. Legacy Driven.

There’s something magical about land.  Wide open spaces where the sky never ends, forests and fields teeming with wildlife, meandering rivers where you can float for miles.  People from all different walks of life can share a common love of the land.  Nature has a way of bringing people together.  Our passion for protecting wild places and wildlife forces us outside of ourselves and into a place of generosity and connection.  Families who spend time together outdoors share a bond unlike any other.  

Everything we do at Nature’s Eye is about rediscovering and nurturing that connection, for ourselves and others.  Our ecosystem of brands provides a comprehensive structure through which we can engage in every aspect of land ownership.  In launching our newest brand, Nature’s Eye Signature Properties, we are able to round out our services in this process.  Rather than simply buying and selling properties, we can offer guidance and implementation resources for ownership, development, and management.

With years of experience in conservation, habitat management, and property development, our expertise is unparalleled in the rural real estate industry.  We have a profound understanding of the land and the natural processes that govern it.  Our extensive knowledge of forestry and wildlife management allows us a unique perspective to discover and maximize a property’s true potential.

Signature Properties brings a Conservation Minded and Legacy Driven approach to rural real estate.  Land ownership is a lifestyle that brings out the best in us.  It’s a culture that nurtures connection to the natural world, self-sustainability, hard work, and strong family bonds. We are passionate about connecting people to a piece of property they can call their own, and pass down for generations.

Learn more and browse our listings at nesignatureproperties.com

August

Something about August ignites a yearning for Fall. Maybe it’s because this is the hottest month of the year in the South. As the muscadines ripen, we’re reminded that this is summer’s last gasp. We know that in just a few short weeks, we’ll be inhaling the nostalgic aroma of a fresh dove pie, and that is the hopeful promise of the coming harvest season.

This month each year, Fall issues and catalogs begin gracing our mailboxes, and we can’t get enough of the waxed canvas, vintage shotguns, posing pointers, and floating feathers. We long for the days of crisp leaves and brisk air, campfires and mugs of whiskey, cold steel and warm walnut, flannel and front porches. But there’s still so much to do.

August is crunch time, the final push for all of the preparations that allow us to enjoy our favorite season. We’re tending our sunflower fields and making sure everything is just right for the dove opener. We’re mapping out our fall food plots and stand locations, doing site prep, and gathering seed. We’re running trail cameras and making our hit list. Checking and double-checking gear, practicing our shots and our campfire stories.

There’s a profound satisfaction that comes with this kind of preparation. All of our previous hunting seasons have taught us the rewards of this work, and maybe more importantly the consequences of leaving it unattended. The anticipation of our experiences over the next few months drives us to sacrifice our sweat now. With the first snap of a twig from below or whistle of wings overhead, we’ll take a deep breath and feel the rush of our vision being realized.

The Ecosystem

During the last year, I had the opportunity to get to know an individual who had lived on this earth for 101 years. Her name was Mae, and she was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and active community volunteer well into her 90s. She helped raise her four grandchildren who grew up in a single parent home, and remained devoted to them through their adulthood. When this lady came into my life, I felt incredibly fortunate for the chance to learn from her about all the things she’d experienced, and what American life was like in the early 20^th century. One of the first things I wanted to know was what she remembered about the Great Depression and World War II. She remarked that if she had a nickel for every time she’d been asked about those two events, she’d be sitting pretty. Some parts of history are so fascinating, that we can’t help but be intrigued by people who lived through them. I had no idea at the time that I would soon be living through one of those historic periods. Years from now, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will ask us what it was like to live during a pandemic.

This experience has served to deepen my understanding of human nature, and provided some fascinating insight into the culture of modern American society. These challenging days are demonstrating just how much we need and depend on one another. The difficulty of living distanced makes it incredibly apparent how we are meant to live as a community. Our lives are so interconnected, that forcing them apart disrupts every aspect of our day-to-day experience. This interconnectedness is the way of nature, and is reflected in every other biological community on earth. In science, this is referred to as the ecosystem. The hallmark of an ecosystem is the connection and interdependence between each organism within. From food web relationships between predator and prey, to the impacts life activities have on the landscape, there is connection everywhere. Everything that occurs in an ecosystem affects everything in it.

This perspective is highlighted in a troubling way through the spread of a highly contagious virus. It has thrown our interconnectedness into a different light, and can make it feel like a weakness. But the story we have to tell our grandchildren about how we lived through this historic time is ours to write. An ecosystem perspective allows us to consider situations that may seem negative on the surface, with an understanding that everything is working together for the greatest good.

As a company, our ecosystem is broad, and reaches through our families and friends, to our colleagues in the conservation field, to the families who purchase properties from us, to the land itself where we develop habitat and the all the living things that dwell there. Everything we do matters, to everyone and everything in our ecosystem. Our impact is multiplied by the ripple effect our work has on people and resources. Through all the stories and lessons Mae shared with me, the common thread was her connection with people. The relationships she cherished and nurtured, and the lives she touched, were always what she remembered most. This is the most hopeful truth that we can glean from these trying times, that our connection is our greatest strength. Collectively, we hold the power to see ourselves through to the other side, and tell a heartening story to the generations to come.