The other creatures with which we share this world have their rights too, but not speaking our language, they have no voice, no vote; it is our moral duty to take care of them. – Roger Tory Peterson
Mindo Ecuador – Sentinels of our communties, trees posses a strong power. They plant their feet firmly and stretch their arms toward the heavens as if tickling the sky. Horizontal branches provide support for a child’s dreamy afternoon respite or a house cat or even a jaguar! In the Neotropics, trees provide a unique ecosytem, where bromeliads, orchids, vines and ferns provide food and shelter for insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, etc. The dense shade cloaks the ground with welcome relief from extreme heat. Ah, who hasn’t expressed gratitude when stepping beneath the canopy of a large tree on a sultry day?
The people in the tree had the best seats for the game! The ones on the ground clustered beneath any shade! Jama Ecuador
One friend long ago mentioned ‘custom harvesting’ a tract of land, and he knew that it bothered me. He explained, “But the trees are going to die anyway, so we might as well harvest them while the wood can be used. ”
I mentioned the dead trees’ importance and reminded him that dead trees were important habitat for the presumed-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker. “Where will YOUR chidren take their children to see a really-big tree?”
This past week while sorthing through old drawings and sketches, I paused when reviewing three or four pages of attempts to illustrate a quote. Then Rebecca Budd /Clanmother shared a quote about trees, which nudged me into bringing that sketch to life.
Those lovely sentinels watch over us, yet many times we forget to acknowledge their presence or worth.
Join me in this celebration of trees! Continue reading
