April 2021: Earth Day

What is a Tree?

What is a tree?
To some, a mere commodity
To be bought for one’s own use
To increase the value
Of the property.
 
To others an inspiration
To sit beneath and compose
Lyrics to a song, a melody,
Paean of praise
Or an essay in prose.
 
And to others still, 
A fellow living being
To let live and grow
To leaf out, flower, 
 Spread its seed, as it willl.
​
​-MW

Berkeley Hills

Trees: A Photo Essay
all photos by Mary unless otherwise specified

A tree is a living thing, just as you and I. It is born, grows, lives and dies. And struggles to survive, through any obstacles in its path. And sometimes humans let the trees grow wild, untouched, to fulfill their destiny. 

 The Earth is large and there is room for all of us. Even in the city, there are parks where trees can grow more or less untouched by humans, providing shelter for the wildlife. 

Wildcat Trail, Tilden Spring 2021

Tilden hills under an early evening full moon. Spring 2021

San Pablo Reservoir Spring 2021

Yard in the Berkeley Hills

Humans may use a tree for their own advantage, such as to provide shade or perhaps for a swing. A child has fun swinging after a long day on Zoom School. Or an adult spends a few precious moments alone on the swing in silent meditation. And the tree has not been harmed. 

​Humans grow trees and this is good. They plant them to reforest bare areas, to provide wind breaks to keep the soil from blowing away, to plant in city parks and private gardens. These trees provide shade, clean air, and enjoyment. Trees are grown and cut for use as Christmas trees.Yes, the trees are cut, then discarded, but their wood provides mulch and new trees are planted in their stead. Instead of a bare plot of land, there is a miniature human made forest. And when the trees are transported to the city, for a few weeks there is a previously bare lot covered with trees and smelling of the forest, providing a magical place for families to visit and pick out their tree. 

Photos from Flikr via Weebly. May not be copied or altered.

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​But some humans see trees only as a commodity, a handy place to drive a nail for hanging things. They do not notice the wound in the bark of the tree. They do not wonder if the tree feels it or reacts. To them a tree is an inanimate object.

.And to many others, a tree is a nuisance. A view blocker. A leaf dropper. A wrecker of concrete. These people are often adamant. They are convinced they are right. They see the tree as an object alone, one that  can easily be removed, just as one might move a lawn chair. For these people, even fences are more respected. They serve a purpose. These people don't see the purpose of the tree, don't see the shade it provides, the protection from the wind and storms, the provider of habitat and food for wildlife. They see only an obstacle in their way. "Cut it down" they demand. And too often, they get their own way. 

​While the tree owners weep for the loss only they see. The birds move to another tree, but as more trees are cut, they become fewer. 

Fortunately, there are others who seek to live in and with Nature and build accordingly. They stand their ground, refusing to cut down their redwoods or deface them. And then those us us who walk those streets are rewarded with morning birdsong, cool shade, and a sense of peace. 

House in the Berkeley hills on a street filled with birdsong

May we appreciate trees for all they offer us: climate control, visual pleasure, cleaner air, and peace. We humans cannot exist without trees, so let us preserve rather than destroy them, here at home and far away in the rain forests of the world. They are our future.  

What is Progress?
Earth Day Musings​

  A long time ago, people came to this continent. There were other animals already here, as well as flowering plants and trees. Then came the people wandering from afar. Or so it is said by  the scientists.  Others believe otherwise. Whatever the facts, these people wandered in and settled in small groups, The people ate what they found, both plant and animal, and they built lodging out of the plants they found. In this, they lived much as all animals, using what they needed to survive. And they lived this way for many years. They were different in one way from the others: they used fire. For warmth, for cooking, for managing their oak groves and grasslands. But this did not change the environment to any great degree.
Then one day, rather suddenly, a barrage of other people from other lands drove in on horses, and covered wagons and sailed in on ships from far away. These people brought animals with them, heavy animals that needed large grazing lands. The new people planted grains for these animals. The landscape was changed and the Native population of humans was decimated rather quickly through disease, loss of their land, and outright violence against them. 
A city rapidly grew up, at first chaotic, regularly ravaged by fires. But these humans were resourceful and ambitious. They quickly rebuilt their city, each time making improvements. Permanent buildings were built, sewers and water lines put in, and finally streets were paved. The wildlife moved out of the city into the nearby countryside. 
And so the area was on a quick rollercoaster ride of change. Over the years, the humans spread out into the countryside and new cities and suburbs sprang up. The once abundant wildlife grew scarcer. The air and water grew foul. But again, these humans were resourceful and knowledgeable. They learned. And took action. 
What did they learn? Through research and observation, they learned to scrub the water and air clean with fancy machines. But they still used gasoline and natural gas and oil. They learned to use windmills and sun for energy. But to do this, they needed land, which they took from the animals. They designed more energy-efficient automobiles and trucks, but they traveled more miles than before. They designated some land as protected so the plants and animals could thrive. But soon, people crowded in here too, talking loudly, leaving trash and demanding that dangerous trees be removed. 
Imagine two people standing on Twin Peaks, looking down at the city and across the Bay. What do they see? Below, a landscape of tall, gray or white concrete structures, the area void of trees. Automobiles, the sun glinting off their windshields. Bridges of steel spanning the water. Large ships traversing the Bay. On the other side, the shoreline is lined in concrete, paved roads and rail tracks at its edge. A few marshes remain. Where once there were thousands of pelicans, one flock flies by. On the hills, where  there were once large stands of tall redwoods, sit houses and a few leftover redwoods And a gash in the hill, a quarry now abandoned but its damage still evident. 
What do they hear?  One lone mockingbird on the hill where they stand. Car engines, sirens, a dull roar of traffic. 
One turns to the other. “This is progress. Look at how far we’ve come."
The other turns slowly and looks her companion in the eyes. “What is progress?” she asks. “What has been gained? Are the trees healthier? Are the animals better off? And we? Do we live better? In the past, if a dwelling burnt down, the inhabitants rebuilt their tule hut in one day. Earthquakes were of little concern, for there were no large buildings to fall. The people lived in peace and had plenty of food and water. They knew only their little world and did not worry about strife elsewhere.  Are we better off than they?”
Her companion was silent. For what could he say? 
                               
​                                          Progress. A word known only to humans. 

All writing by MW this month. Piccola and JM are recovering from dental surgery.
​ To be continued....