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And go with the low-flow.
Dear Reader,
It is National Park Week in the U.S., celebrated on the heels of a recent announcement that the current administration aims to slash funding to the country’s parks system by 75%, even though it’s hard to disagree with writer and conservationist Wallace Stegner, who called our national parks “the best idea we ever had.”
So let us take this moment to highlight the majesty and magic of our national parks’ most populous inhabitants — trees!
Let’s start with a discovery Dot has shared with you before — so-called “mother trees” that nurture and care for the trees around them. Former Climate Champ Suzanne Simard, a Canadian forestry scientist and conservationist, first theorized the existence of mother trees as she studied sick firs. After many experiments, Simard’s theory grew into scientific evidence, proving that symbiotic fungal networks among trees’ root systems (think of our own neural pathways) allow them to interact with each other, sharing not just food and water, but also warning signals and messages. And older trees recognize their offspring, prioritizing their well-being.
A recent New York Times story makes clear that humans can develop strong and enduring affection for trees. A Harvard University professor offers a seminar called “Tree.” Part of the seminar’s syllabus sums it up: “Imagine a semester devoted to connecting two organisms: a person (you) and a tree (not you).”
The instructor asked students to find a campus tree and then … spend time with it, to, as he put it, “actually love something that can’t love you back.”
And that’s exactly what happened, with each student developing strong feelings for “their” tree, inviting their friends to meet it, spending time with it, getting to really know it.
You won’t want to miss this inter-species love story. Read it, and then go out and love a tree of your own. (If you do, or already have a tree you love, please share it with Dot.)
And please plant a tree (or more!). One of the most effective ways to cool a neighborhood is by adding shade. What’s more, a recent study shows that living near trees can cut your risk of heart disease.
Rootedly,
Dot
Bluedot’s Room for Change columnist has more to say.
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