From the trickling of time, the creek that runs through our Hunt Country carried the Indian name Cokongoloto and Gohongarestraw, meaning the "river of swans or geese." While the Indians have been gone for the last 300 years, the name Goose Creek remains.

So on a recent Saturday, I had the chance to take my 10-year old son on his first duck hunting trip in the Goose Creek Watershed. Accompanied by my good friend Michael Webert, the purpose was to introduce, teach and transfer values that only come through hunting, for it was youth hunting day in Virginia. The abundance of waterfowl moving in concert with the ebb and flow of the water cutting through our land has been a time-honored tradition of stewardship.

As my mother and father once told me, "The cultivation of soil and character are two of the greatest joys in life. In each case, we invest in the greater good. While the cultivation of soil anchors us, the cultivation of character elevates us."

In a world of iPods, iPads, Wii and DVDs, our kids and we are increasingly living in a virtual reality. The act of hunting forces us to re-enter the natural world as a participant.

David Petersen, author of A Hunter's Heart, writes, "as our society has become less conscious of its earthly resources, we have increasingly begun to regard nature as nothing more than scenery, a backdrop to be admired as art or playground or sacred space, always viewed with a sense of detachment, and never a part of ourselves."

What lies at the root of detachment from nature, Petersen writes, is a forgetfulness "created by the supermarket, where we pluck from the shelves process bits of plants and animals that are hidden inside boxes, cans and packages---- creating an illusion that we can have food without harvest, that life can be maintained without death, that our daily existences is separate from the land, and that we are fundamentally different from all other organism."

For a brief moment in time, we are connected and mindful. By participating in nature, we deepen our connection to the soil and elevate our character in how we interact with our surroundings.

So on this beautiful autumn morning, my little's boy journey and connection to nature took a new step, a first step into the wonder of nature as a participant. Likewise, my friend Michael Webert, who is running for Delegate for Virginia's 18th District, will with the support of the voters enter the world of representative democracy with a sense of purpose rooted in his connection to the land.

As Jose Y Gasset author of the famous book Meditations on Hunting, stated, "Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia" --- "I am I and my surroundings."

Chandler Van Voorhis is Managing Partner of C2I, LLC in Middleburg. C2I's GreenTrees program has planted over 4 million trees in the Mississippi Delta for Duke Energy and Norfolk Southern.