Upon arriving at Johnson’s Woods the past and present become apparent in one glance. The woods, which is made up of trees older than the nation, can be seen from the parking lot. From that same position, one can see miles of corn. These wooded areas are Ohio’s past. They allow us to see what Ohio looked like before great settlements arose. The corn fields show us where Ohio is now. There is no indication to how the landscape changed so much throughout time expect our own presence. The livelihood of many Ohioans rests on those corn fields, an economic venture the trees could no longer offer. Even after entering the woods the surrounding farm fields could not be escaped. The smell of fertilizer and manure engulfed the woods. Johnson’s Woods was preserved to protect both history and nature. However, nature even preserved is not safe from the unnatural world around it. At Johnson’s Woods, I began to understand the idea that there may not be any truly natural place left on Earth. It was not the boardwalk or signs that made me feel like I was in a less than natural space. It was an inability to escape the outside modern world surrounding me.
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