The Canadian geese in the distance honk to the setting sun.
The national parks are the American public agreeing, knowingly or not, to put stewardship in the hands of scientists, naturalists and elected officials. But the land I’m on now, where the geese finally quiet and the beaver swims up to stare at me fully in the face before satisfying his curiosity: this is private land. They have taken ownership to new levels. They care for it after their death, it’s tiny compared to the vastness our public spaces. But it is more land that is protected. And today, many might argue that it is more safe.