Escape to Serenity

Tim Gothard spent much of his childhood exploring a creek near his home, damming it to watch the changing surge of the stream and catching crawfish and minnows to observe them – close-up and personal. Though not consciously, he was educating himself about wildlife, from the territory the creatures inhabited to their behavior patterns.

“When I was growing up, a perfect day for me was to wake up and say, ‘Mom, I’m going to the creek,’” Gothard said. “I was out the front door and across the dirt road, through the barbed wire fence and then to the creek. That fascinated me and entertained me. I did not realize it at the time, but I was interacting with the outdoors and learning things. Later in life, I realized how much I learned.”