Preeminent in the web of life : The EnduringO ak
BY ELLEN GORDON
As poet Robert Frost informs us , “ The woods are lovely , dark and deep …” and unless we have promises to keep , we should give ourselves time to spend in them . Mary Oliver tells us that , “ When I am among the trees , especially the willows and the honey locust , equally the beech , the oaks and the pines , they give off such hints of gladness . I would almost say that they save me , and daily .”
What is it about forests that inspire so much poetry and philosophizing ? In his essay entitled , “ Nature ,” Ralph Waldo Emerson says that ,” In the woods … a man casts off his years , as the snake his slough , and at what period so ever of life , is always a child . In the woods , is perpetual youth .” Who among us wouldn ’ t welcome some extra moments of youth ?
Although in English we seem to need many words to describe the experience of the forest , the German language has a single very specific word for it , “ Waldeinsamkeit ,” which means the “ feeling of solitude , of being joyfully alone in the woods and feeling deeply connected to the natural world .”
The Japanese practice of “ shinrin-yoku ,” or “ forest bathing ” is the simple and therapeutic act of mindfully spending time in the forest . In Japan , forest bathing has become a vital part of healthcare ! In her book , The Joy of Forest Bathing , author Melanie Choukas-Bradley explains that , “… shinrin-yoku involves full sensory immersion in the beauty and wonder of nature and trees .” Japanese research teams have studied the practice extensively and document lowered blood pressure , pulse rate and cortisol levels as well as improved mood . She reports that , “ The volatile compounds known as phytonicides , which plants generate to protect themselves from pathogens may even protect human health when they are emitted into the forest air . When we breathe in these airborne compounds , they appear to boost our immunity to cancer and other diseases by increasing our natural killer cells .” There have even been studies that found that people living in proximity to trees had better “ amygdala integrity ”— meaning , a brain structure better able to handle stressors .
Fortunately , Montgomery County has a plethora of parks , and many in the Agricultural Reserve offered woodland trails , including Little Bennett Regional Park , Monocacy Natural Resource Area , Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park , Black Hill Regional Park , Bucklodge Forest Conservation Park , McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area , and the
Patuxent River State Park . Be sure to inhale deeply when you make time for a visit to these forests !
Of course , trees accomplish so much more than multiple benefits to people ; they are utterly essential to entire ecosystems . Animals , including insects are dependent on them for food , shelter — their very survival . Most obviously , trees that produce fruits and nuts feed us and other animals . Some provide blossoms beloved by a variety of pollinators .
Every tree is important , but a woods , a forest — that ’ s a complex network of interacting organisms . What you see above ground is only a portion of the wealth of the woods . The roots underground connect to the soil and other trees by an astounding fungal network , called mycorrhiza — sometimes referred to as the “ wood wide web ” by forest ecologists ! Forests also prevent soil erosion and help protect water quality .
Moreover , a tree absorbs approximately 50 pounds of carbon dioxide per year . In a world that ’ s heating up due partly to increased anthropogenic CO 2 emissions , preserving trees and planting more of them is imperative . Our need for the shade that trees cast will only grow . Also important is how trees cool air around them through evapotranspiration ; as trees transpire , they release water into the
26 plenty I summer growing 2022