To my surprise, there was a substantial difference between the idea I had of what Johnson’s woods would be and what I discovered it to be. On the other hand, the seeming infinite spread of corn fields on the bus ride there was to be expected. I was expecting the old growth forest to be untouched by man, or at least minimally maintained. As we approached the entrance I saw there was a boardwalk trail, which I learned later loops throughout the entire forest. I recognize this encourages visitors to stay on the path, leaving the forest to develop naturally, but I did not particularly enjoy the aesthetic of it. As I was walking along I encountered sections where the boardwalk seemed to plow through the trees, barraging a path of human intrusion. Logs lay next to the boardwalk; no, they were placed next to the boardwalk in sections of the forest. It was disappointing to see so many of the mighty maple and oak on their way out. Some of them were standing skeletons, adding an eerie element to the canopy when I would glance up. There were a few great stumps which were mirrored on the ground by its former trunk, another tell-tale sign of humans catering the natural world towards accessibility and convenience. The forest had a variety of sections in it: from bogs, to deep green flowered marsh, to the thick woods and massive trees dating back to the age of the Pilgrims. I enjoyed my venture into a cultivated garden. As I neared the road, there was a blatant reminder that I was surrounded by corn fields in Ohio, the odor of manure. I was treated to pleasant surprises on Monday, but I have to say Johnson’s foods is far from Earth’s nature.
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