Sitting with Trees
I was so moved by this NY Times article.
It is so sad that New England had been stripped away of old growth forests. Hiking most trails you are lucky to walk by one or two trees that are more than 100 years old. I can't even fathom that so much of the land was clear cut. "By 1907 nearly one third of America's forests (260 million acres) were gone... the North East less than 1% of its old growth forests remain intact," according this beautiful and inspiring article share by my friend and inspiration Jim Anderson, from the NY Times.
The article goes on to discuss the science that is proving the ecology and the social responsibility that trees share in taking care of the whole forest. In fact, they use fungus to direct nutrients and resources to different areas of the forest. Even more amazing it that the "Mother Tree" are these nodes in the forest ensuring this care is being provided. My mind and heart are completely blow open by this.
The premise that forests evolve through collaboration, not competition.
My daughter and I have been so inspired by trees lately. We often go for walks and say hello to our favorites, and one of our latest practices is sitting with Trees. We sit at the base of the tree. We are co-regulating with the tree, being held by the tree, and there is always some kind of wisdom that comes to us.
The wisdom of the trees
Composting what in your life are you shedding that will compost at your roots and nourish your future?
How deep are your roots? Do they dip below the snow line? Do they trickle into a water source? Are they supporting your growth? Can you dig a little deeper? How long does it take to root in?
Reach for the sun! Trees work together to help younger trees grow tall and stretch for the sun by blocking out the light, so they grow with tall straight trunks. If the sun was abundant the whole time, they wouldn't need to grow tall and stretch for the sun. Keeping things just beyond our reach can be a great service for us to push forward and grow our branches. Keep reaching.
Let the wind blow through your branches in the storm - inspired by Luna and Butterfly!
Link to the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/02/magazine/tree-communication-mycorrhiza.html
More about the Mother Tree project: https://mothertreeproject.org/about-mother-trees-in-the-forest/
Luna and Butterfly - https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Luna-Story-Struggle-Redwoods/dp/0062516590