We often go through life without realizing the heroes we pass by without knowing these people’s stories. As Paul Harvey used to say- Now for the rest of the story! This story is about the importance of Wildlife Management and getting out into nature for our health and fitness. But at the end of this story is THE REST OF THE STORY!
But the Rest of the Story is about twins that saved the lives of three boys from certain death while they were hunting because they were situational aware. If it wasn’t for a single light these three boys have been names written into an obituary instead of a story about a second chance at life. It is what this Season is ALL ABOUT both Hanukkah and Christmas.
Angels are all about us just like HEROES are walking about us. It you have time this holiday season, please read this article about health, nature, and the impact we can have on other people. Sometimes more than not, we do not know or realize the impact we have on others.
Importance of getting out into Nature for our Health and Fitness
In an era dominated by screens, deadlines, and urban hustle, the simple act of stepping into nature offers profound holistic benefits for our health and fitness. Getting outdoors not only strengthens the body but also unclutters the mind, alleviating daily stress that accumulates like digital clutter. This connection to the natural world fosters physical vitality, mental clarity, and emotional resilience. Historical figures like Henry David Thoreau exemplified this through his deliberate retreat to simplicity, reminding us that nature is a timeless remedy for modern ailments.
Henry David Thoreau, an avid naturalist, sought solace in a cabin on Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts, from 1845 to 1847. Embracing a life of minimalism, he immersed himself in the rhythms of the wilderness, chopping wood, planting beans, and observing the subtle changes of seasons. In his seminal work, Walden, Thoreau reflects on this experience: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life.” His time there wasn’t mere escapism; it was a conscious effort to strip away societal pressures, allowing nature to restore balance.
Even Christ Retreated into Nature
Even Jesus Christ retreated into nature when He needed to recharge His batteries during His three years, starting at age 30, that changed the entire World for all generations to come with peace and good will toward men-kind. In Luke 5:15-16 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. With the demand on Jesus Christ’s attention addressing people’s, this time of meditation was precious to Him.
The Health Impact of getting out into Nature
Modern science echoes this—studies show that going into nature has a holistic effects on our health reduces cortisol levels, lowers blood pressure, and boosts immune function through phytoncides released by trees. Thoreau’s uncluttered existence highlights how nature declutters the psyche, paving the way for enhanced focus and creativity. Your creativity opens to what was there in your subconscious mind.
Part of this Holistic restorative process involves active engagement with the environment, such as walking, hiking, biking, hunting and fishing, which play crucial roles in maintaining ecological health. Hunting and fishing aren’t just recreational; they help keep wildlife populations and aquatic ecosystems thriving. Over-hunting or under-management can lead to imbalances, but responsible practices ensure biodiversity and healthy and thriving herds.
A poignant Biblical reference underscores this wisdom: In Exodus 23:29, God instructs Moses, “But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you.” This divine strategy prevented rapid depopulation of inhabitants in Canaan, avoiding overpopulation of wildlife that could devastate the land and wildlife. Historically, it took five years for Israel, under Joshua’s leadership, to gain control of the region—a gradual approach that preserved a healthy equilibrium in the countryside.
Today, federal and state wildlife management agencies collaborate with key conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited, that also includes the essential roles of farmers and ranchers, who are champion stewards of the land, to sustain this balance and feeding areas. These stewards of the land work alongside hunters and fishermen to monitor and manage herds and flocks, preventing overgrazing or disease outbreaks.
Farmers in the Deltas of Mississippi and Arkansas routinely flood their rice fields after harvest where they leave grain for migratory duck migration. This also goes along with the Biblical reference in Leviticus 23:22- When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. In this case leaving fields with grain for the wildlife.
Practical Benefits of Wildlife Management
For instance, controlled hunting seasons help cull excess populations, ensuring resources like food and habitat remain viable for future generations to enjoy. This symbiotic relationship between humans and nature not only supports environmental health but also promotes personal holistic fitness through physical exertion—trekking through forests, casting lines, or tracking game builds endurance, strength, and agility. But the biggest is getting out into nature.
The Feature of this Article describing the two young men
Featured in this article are the twin sons—Cody on the left and Heath on the right—of my close high school friend, known as Cowboy. We were part of the “Rough Riders,” a group of adventurous teens living just 50 miles from Stuttgart, Arkansas, the duck capital of the world. In December, we’d often skip the first and second periods of school to head out for duck hunting; after all, the school calendar didn’t always align with ours of duck hunting.
Those crisp mornings in the prairie-delta taught us respect for nature while honing our physical skills, wading through wetlands, carrying gear, and staying alert for hours. Hunting fostered a deep appreciation for conservation, blending fitness with mindfulness as we uncluttered our young minds from classroom stress. And to create stories that would last a lifetime that we still remember now in our 60’s.
Our 26th President, President Theodore Roosevelt, the Conservationist
Conservation efforts elevated to national prominence under the 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, who championed wildlife management and outdoor recreation. A fervent outdoors-man, Roosevelt established numerous national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges, recognizing nature’s role in holistic public health. He once declared, “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value. Yellowstone one of the first National Park, established by the U.S. Congress in 1872. Spanning vast geothermal wonders, geysers, and wildlife corridors, Yellowstone exemplifies how protected spaces invite people to engage with nature actively.
My Families History of Benefits of Nature
When you’re looking at old classic family picture, you never think of a Great Uncle when you visit him as being in his early to mid 20’s. You only known him as a man in his late 60’s and 70’s. But they were actual young at once.
My own family history is tied to the legacy of Yellowstone. In 1927, my Great Uncle Wendell Rothschild Boatright vacationed at Yellowstone, this event was captured in a cherished photograph above standing proudly outside his tent amid the park’s rugged beauty. That image evokes the era’s spirit of exploration, where venturing into such wilds was a tonic for body and soul. Roosevelt’s emphasis on parks as venues for recreation aligns with today’s understanding that outdoor activities combat sedentary lifestyles, reducing risks of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Among the most accessible ways to reap these benefits is through walking, hiking, or mountain biking in natural settings. Mountain biking, one of my favorite pursuits and exercises, has been a game-changer since developing knee and back issues. The low-impact pedaling on trails strengthens muscles, improves joint mobility, and enhances cardiovascular health without the jarring or impact that of running.
Once you start, the allure of nature is addictive, finding new paths becomes a quest, pulling you deeper into nature’s embrace as Henry David Thoreau discovered. Incorporating outdoor elements into your exercise regime amplifies gains and results: fresh air oxygenates the blood running through your veins, while sunlight boosts vitamin D production, fortifying bones and mood if benefits of sunlight.
These activities in nature unclutter the mind and body of stress hormones and the of mental fog. Exposure to green spaces has been linked to lower anxiety and depression rates, with the “nature deficit disorder” concept highlighting how urban isolation harms our well-being. Nature is especially great benefit for our Veterans dealing with PTSD and readjusting to civilian life. Try shifting part of your workout outdoors—a brisk trail walks or bike ride under the open canopy. It not only builds physical resilience but nurtures the psyche, fostering a sense of peace of mind and accomplishment.
This mental uncluttering finds spiritual resonance in Psalms 46:10: Be still and know that I am God. In moments of stillness amid nature, what once seemed an insurmountable mental obstacle often dissolved into visible solutions. I’ve experienced this personally regularly—whether during a workout or tending my farm, solutions emerge as the mind quiets, unburdened by daily noise. Nature acts as a meditative space, where physical movement syncs with introspection, leading to breakthroughs in problem-solving and emotional clarity. Isaiah, who I refer to as the Shakespeare of the Bible, wrote in Isaiah 30:15- This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…..
Immersing yourself in nature profoundly impacts your health and fitness by uncluttering mind and body from stress. From Thoreau’s Walden reflections to Roosevelt’s conservation legacy, and personal stories of hunting and biking, the evidence is clear: outdoor engagement builds strength, sustains ecosystems, and restores equilibrium.
Whether hiking Yellowstone’s or your local park trails or fishing at a local lake, these pursuits offer holistic wellness. As we face mounting modern pressures, let’s heed the call to step outside and be still—our bodies, minds, from the wild world of deadlines will thrive for it. Nature is the very evidence that God is the creator of heaven and earth, Romans 1:20- For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…
Now for Paul Harvey’s Quote- Now for the Rest of the Story–
The reason that I highlighted Cody and Heath in this story:
The two gentlemen in the feature photograph are heroes based on this incident that was conveyed to me by their father, Cowboy, that took place while they were duck hunting that is often done during the early hours of the morning, like 3:00 a.m. While Cody and Heath were setting out preparing for day’s duck hunt by setting out their duck decoys. Cody in his flat boat noticed a flickering light on the horizon that hadn’t been there prior weeks. It didn’t appear to be a channel marker that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers placed there because it was flickering not like a channel marker would do, and it was the wrong color.
Cody, rerouted his boat toward the flickering light to see what was causing light. Upon arriving at the location he found three young teenagers that their boat took on so much water from the choppy waves that the young men were tossed out of the boat into the frigid waters. Two of the boys were already experiencing hypothermia that prevented them from bailing out the water to recover the boat. One of the boys called his parents to explain to them the situation where they could notify officials.
Cody called to his twin brother, Heath, to bring the other boat to rescue three stranded survivors, two of which were barely holding onto life. Cody and Heath had difficulty even retrieving the two young men experiencing hypothermia because they lost all maneuverability of their limbs. Cody and Heath, after retrieving the three young men, navigated his boat toward flashing blue and red lights at a nearby landing where emergency responders were trying to organize a search team.
For two of the young men, the search would have been too late before they succumbed to hypothermia and had died. After they reached the landing where responders were gathered, the young men received medical attention for hypothermia, Cody went back to retrieve the young men’s hunting supplies and equipment. Cody turned over the young men’s hunting supplies and equipment over to the wildlife responders. The response by Cody and Heath allowed these young men and their family to have a second chance at life. Cody and Heath fit the definition of the term of a hero saving three young men from death.
Their story sounds similar to the story in that Christmas Classic starring Jimmy Stewart, IT IS A WONDERFUL LIFE where Harry Bailey was saved by his brother, George Bailey, after he fell through the ice on the pond. If you remember, Harry Bailey went on to save a troop carrier of U.S. Soldiers.
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