Talkative Trees – What I Learned on A Guided Hike

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.“ – Henry David Thoreau

Yesterday we went on a nature walk through what is called an “Old Growth” forest.  It was led by a couple of experienced forest conservationists, and WOW, my mind was being blown!  (Yes, stuff like this feeds me more than almost all the “sermons” I’ve heard put together) :-o

One of the things they talked about was “forest evolution,” and in that, how the undisturbed mixture of very old trees with a younger generation of trees is so important.  But forests containing these “elder” trees are becoming very rare, as older trees are seen as a financial commodity.  Loggers will tell property owners who have woods that by their service of cutting bigger trees down, the smaller ones will grow faster and healthier.  This is not true!  Being ignorant of the symbiotic relationship between trees and the overall “oneness” of nature is something that is slowly going to kill the planet unless more people become less greedy, and more awakened.  It even has implications for us socially and spiritually, if we have the ears to hear.

Fortunately there is more progressive thinking happening. For example a woman named Suzanne Simard has been making waves with her shocking studies in tree communication, giving evidence that they have a complex social structure and communication network. They actually talk among themselves in order to survive pests and diseases.  (If interested, check out her fascinating Ted Talk : https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_simard_how_trees_talk_to_each_other)

The Tenacity of Trees

There is hope for a tree, that if it is cut down, it will sprout again, and will not die.   – Job 14:7

At one point along the hike our guide called attention to a very old tree stump and how the outer edges were thickened.  He said this was the tree continuing to grow, and that what we think is death in a tree, is not death.  Trees that are cut down continue to draw wisdom and life from the world above and then communicate these things through their extensive root systems to other trees they are connected to. It reminds me of a quote in one of my favorite movies, “Tuesdays with Morrie.”

“Death may end a life, but it does not end the relationship.”

I don’t know about you, but I was very encouraged by this stump image (and I will not be so quick to remove them, either.)

The Cheerfulness of Trees

For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. – Isaiah 55:12

One of the reasons we wanted to go on this walk is because we have a good amount of woods on our property.  We want to better stewards of our “Little Eden” by learning how to care for the trees.  It’s going to take a long time (eternity even) to learn all their names and fully appreciate them.  Meanwhile I do know the name of one tree that we have a lot of.  “Quaking Aspens” are known for leaves that shimmer and shake with the slightest breeze.  I call them the “Happy Clappy Tree.”   I also heard a friend call them the “Applause Tree.”  I like that too!  When we hear them clapping, we can be reminded of the truth that, “God is for us, not against us.”

Nature is a constant reminder of His love and wisdom.

Not the least of which are trees!

 

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