The Life of Trees and People

Over the years we have walked many kilometres on the trails of this neighbourhood woodlot. Steckle Woods is a city-owned property with a 1.8 km perimeter trail and shorter intersecting pathways. The area was destroyed by a forest fire in 1805 so the mature trees are no older than this date. It is a great place for a relaxing saunter in all seasons, except perhaps late May and June when mosquitoes are especially pesky. 

The Mummer Tree

I read The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben last year and it made me observe the forest in
more anthropomorphic manner. I loved Treebeard and the Ents in Lord of the Rings and imagine some of the trees with interesting burls, and even some stumps, to be particular friends. Wohllenben's book describes the intelligence of trees and the complexity of their supportive and interconnected root systems. Lonely is the life of a single tree planted on a lawn. A row of single species trees planted in straight lines lacks a sense of community and the healthy environment found in diverse, natural growth. 

This particular woodlot contains a variety of species including Acer sacchrum (Sugar maple), Ostrya virginiana (Ironwood), Quercus rubra (Red oak), Tilia americana (Basswood), Fraxinus americana (White ash), Rhamnus (Buckthorn), Cornus alternifolia (Alternating dogwood), Prunus serotine (Black cherry), Pinus resinosa (Red pine), Pinus strobus (White pine), and Fagus grandifolia (American beech). Identifying trees is not my strength and I wonder if I could verify any species without looking at the leaf or fruit. It is my goal to get better at recognizing the different bark and branch patterns of our native trees. 

While I understand the need to limit social gatherings during the current pandemic, prolonged isolation and fear have had a profound and negative impact on some people, particularly the elderly and those with chronic mental and physical health concerns. I see patients who have stayed in their homes for months, getting no physical activity or socialization. My sister-in-law had a severe heart attack in May 2020. She developed delirium in the hospital and was isolated for weeks from the family due to visiting restrictions. In the end, she passed away in August without ever being able to return home and left us feeling that we had abandoned her. I think of her as a "COVID casualty", much the same as a person with the actual virus. 

I hope we come out of the pandemic with a greater appreciation of the importance of community and the value of support we derive from family and friends. COVID has revealed the inadequacies of our long-term care facilities where people are often warehoused away from their natural environments with inadequate care. As a first-world society, we have sought independence more than interdependence. Of course, there are exceptions to this generalization and many families and caregivers give and love sacrificially. I have friends and family (shout out to cousins this year) who have provided exceptional, loving, end-of-life care for their parents. 

I love the diversity of nature and the delightful discovery of a new bird, flower, tree or hidden animal. What a boring place the world would be if we all expressed ourselves in the same way. Healthy communities will be diverse yet interconnected and supportive of new growth.