The Ortiz-Clark Family Hunting and Wild Life Issues

I can really tell that we are changing and that the rural environment is getting into our family. Jake now has camouflage, tracking devices and guns. All of it for work. We also are receiving hunting and other wildlife magazines. The kids have noticed the changes too! Ezekiel said: "I want to go hunt reindeers with daddy when I am a teenager. Then we will eat them and make a coat with the skin". I am not sure where he got this from since we do not talk about hunting in this house much and he certainly has not been exposed to it. I do realize things are going to change and Zeke will go hunting with this daddy in a couple of years. Ive, on the other hand, has become our little tree hugger :). She has grown in her love of wildlife. She is very concern with community issues and wildlife issues. She goes to the park or any street and when she sees trash she picks it up and throws it away. Because animals can eat or become trapped in the trash and it will hurt them. She wants to have a yard sale this summer and donate the profits to the Emporia SPCA. They are raising funds to build a new center to keep the strays. She also is concerend about the destruction of the animal habitat by over population. Let me give you an example:
Ive: Mom I am worried
Me: About what honey?
Ive: Well too many people are moving into Africa and they are crowding the animals. They are taking over their habitat.
Me: Well they are not really moving to Africa. It is just that the population in africa is growing. A family has 10 kids and those kids have 10 kids and they all need a place to live and grow food.
Ive: Well that is a bigger problem than I thouhgt because we cant tell people to stop having kids. What can we do?
Me: I guess, that is why we need to encourage governments to reserve areas for wildlife and make natural parts were the animals can live.
Ive: When I grow up I am going to be a wildlife vet and I will live by a wildlife park to help take care of the animals.
It will be interesting to see how spending hte next several years in a rural area affects the people taht they become. I already can tell that their childhood is VERY different from mine. It is such an adventure to see their life and personality develop. What a privilige to influence kids and help them become all the they can be!