with Pat Tuholske,
Naturalist
Life With Trees
I hope your life is blessed with trees.
Large trees are absolutely essential to the well-being of Earth and all beings. They are the skin of the Earth, covering and protecting. Our world depends upon vast numbers of trees to control weather cycles, regulate oxygen-carbon dioxide ratios, purify the atmosphere, produce and protect topsoil, shelter land-dwelling animals. Great forests must be allowed to flourish. No other life form can perform the function of the deep forest. We certainly cannot survive very long if we allow the large forests to vanish. With climate change upon us, it is more vital than ever to protect the trees.
I hope your life is blessed with deep woodlands to wander.
Rejuvenate yourself with a walk in the forest. Awaken and fill all your senses. Ambling along a forest path feeds the heart and soul. Be with a tree. Lean your back against its bark for a while. Be patient. Quiet your mind. Merge your awareness with the tree. Listen.
I hope your life is blessed with a teaching tree.
We can learn significant life lessons from trees. During this age of hurry and speed, they teach us patience and serenity. Acknowledge the mature trees in your neighborhood and discover peace on a hectic day. A tree’s strength brings a sense of grounding and stability to all who enter its aura. Trees radiate a sense of wholeness and are clear in their life purpose. They fully inhabit their space, living out their destiny in city parks and national forests, along interstates and city blocks.
We need trees. Ponder the books you read, the home you inhabit, the junk in your mail, the furniture you buy. We consume trees so it completes the circle when we give back in gratitude for all they give us.
Plant a tree seed, protect it, tend it, watch it grow into a mighty tree and learn what it has to teach you. Each tree has a gift to share if we only open to receive it. Oak, Hickory, Buckeye, Linden, Willow, Pine… all are teachers and healers.
Trees are the guardians of Earth. Let us assist them as sincere and loyal caretakers of the forest.
Check out Pat Tuholske’s journal “Nature as Healer” for musings on the Human-Nature relationship. Go to elementalearthcamp.com. Pat is the guide at Elemental Earthcamp “off the grid” encampment in the Missouri Ozarks. See her wild wreaths and native plant remedies at WillowRainHerbalGoods.com.