Leopold writes eloquently of the melting winter in his section entitled “January Thaw”. He astutely recants abiotic events that occur during the turn of winter and opens the reader’s mind to a biotic world that interacts deeply. Leopold follows the tracks of a skunk and observes how different creatures attain or lose the ‘freedom from want and fear’. He describes meadow mouses exploring their fields and their interactions with rough-legged hawks. He writes of an insignificant flower called Draba blooming firstly in the season to mark the turn of weather. Leopold shares all of these events in such a way that convinces the reader that a system outside of human intervention starts as the snow thaws. He lucidly describes the actions of each creature without granting human purpose any significance. Instead, he explores the motives that the animals and plants have intrinsically. Though this theme carries on subtly in his writing, it helps the reader recognize just how much of life occurs without a thought of Homo sapiens. Reading this passage brought me back to a wilderness excursion taken during the summer of my freshman year of high school. I led a 60 mile trek through the mountains of Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. During these ten days in the backcountry I learned many wilderness skills, team building activities and ways to hang food fifty feet in the air to avoid a confrontation with bears. Throughout the experience a presence beyond that of human became obvious. Observing tracks became a daily routine, and I often wondered as Leopold did how the animals go about their days. Frequent encounters with diverse wildlife also led my mind to think about animal motivations, intentions and drives. Just as us humans walked through trails to find a shelter, so too would deer. This experience brought about a greater sense of purpose for me personally as the observer of life. It helped me realize that humans are just one organism in the biosphere. Though our actions significantly impact the planet, other forms of life do the same. The mouse exists for the sole purposes of the mouse, no human philosophy or theology required.