Forests and Plants: For the Love of Trees

Plants, whether on land or in the water, are the bedrock of our existence converting the energy from sunlight in to organic matter through photosynthesis. They embody growth and the sustainability of life as witnessed each autumn when the broad leaves of deciduous trees transform into a kaleidoscope of colours before cascading to the ground, showering the earth with leaf litter. The mulch fertilises the soil, nourishing the roots of those same trees to produce a crop of fresh green leaves in the never- ending cycle of renewal. 

An Ancient Connection

Forests, trees and plants are the visible face of Mother Earth, bearers of fruits and beverages, reservoirs for water, the source of traditional medicines, building blocks for houses and stockades, containers for storing and transporting goods. In many African cultures certain groves of trees are sacred and untouchable, the abode of spirits or souls, links to ancestors, a means to communicate with the gods, places where councils of elders gather to sit and talk on matters of gravitas, soothed by the trees’ shady and immovable presence.

The Mbuti, a group of hunter-gatherers living in the Ituri rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, imbibe a deep sense of spirituality and symbolism from the darkened world of the tropics with their forest home embodying Mother Nature, the womb (ndu), the giver of life. There is wisdom to be learned from people who still live close to nature that can help reawaken the sense of something sacred in our hearts. Just as the bison provided for the spiritual and bodily sustenance of the Plains Indians of North America, and cattle fulfilled a similar role in Maasai culture in East Africa – cattle as a gift from God – the rainforests create meaning and purpose in the lives of the Mbuti people as well as providing food. The bison, cow and forest each forged a powerful covenant with the land for these very different human societies defined by a deep respect for nature. 

The Therapeutic Benefits

Florence Williams’ excellent book The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative offers a simple message: we suffer from an ‘epidemic dislocation from the outdoors’, a nature-deficit disorder that is damaging to our mental and physical health. More time spent in nature makes us healthier and happier, promoting reflection and innovation and strengthening our relationships, helping to improve mood, alertness and creativity by enhancing our capacity to think clearly. In this regard, forests offer each one of us a sense of renewal, a place to retire for insight and inspiration, somewhere to communicate with the inner self that sages throughout eternity have responded to. A walk among trees can quieten and calm the mind, allowing us to reconnect with our deepest being and reflect on our pathway – the purpose of our life. This is not pure fantasy. Japanese researchers have shown how therapeutic a walk in the woods can be, lowering blood pressure, boosting the immune system and releasing natural chemicals that reduce feelings of aggression, frustration and anxiety. Tree bathing, as it is known, acts through aromatic substances exuded by trees, some of which have been extracted and bottled by the wellness industry to sooth the stressed and weary. How much more energising, though, to take a walk through a wooded glade and soak up nature’s miraculous tonic first hand.

Cause for Concern

Our planet has lost more than half of its trees since humans first learned how to wield an axe: we are cutting them down at the rate of about 15 billion a year. The highest losses are among the rainforest communities that are our oldest living ecosystems. Some have survived in their present form for at least 70 million years and while covering just 6 per cent of the Earth’s surface rainforests are home to more than half of all our plant and animal species, many as yet undiscovered. A 10-square-kilometre plot of forest can contain as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150 of butterflies. Rainforests store more carbon than other forests and are irreplaceable habitat for some of the most iconic creatures on the planet from orangutans in Borneo to mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of east-central Africa, tigers in India and jaguars in the Pantanal wetlands of South America. Each one of these charismatic creatures is now endangered, its ancient forest home under threat. 

Conserving a Green World

Today’s biosphere reserves, world heritage sites and other protected areas echo our ancient relationship with trees as we strive to conserve our dwindling forests and the indigenous societies for whom they are still home. But we must remain vigilant. Since 2006, some of Africa’s oldest, largest and most revered baobab trees have abruptly died, wholly or in part: victims, it appears, of climate change. Nine of the 13 oldest baobabs – estimated at from 1,100 to 2,500 years old – have gone, or at least their oldest parts have collapsed and died, providing a potent and timely reminder of our impact on the planet. 

How you can help

People often ask us “how can we help?” It is easy to believe that as individuals our voices will never be heard; that we are powerless to make a difference, that we must wait for someone else to make the changes we believe are needed, that the government can and will fix it. But reconnecting people to nature and protecting our natural environment is an urgent mission of global proportions that needs a global response. That is why we created the SNI, to amplify our message of “inspire and educate if we are to conserve.” And it starts with you. Each of us must choose to be better informed about the environment. Knowledge gives us power. Only by knowing and understanding the issues and challenges we now face can we hope to conserve the things that are important. And what could be more important than a healthy natural environment for all? It starts at home by changing our way of doing things, Step by Step the Sacred Nature Way.

Donations

Many people tell us they would like to donate to an organisation that reflects their interests and has the ability to effect change. One of the key functions of the SNI is to inform you about what we believe is working in the field of conservation and what isn’t. It might be a particular species that interests you - lions, elephants, tiger, gorillas, pangolins or penguins. Or you may want to support an organisation that focuses on a particular ecosystem that you have visited such as the Mara-Serengeti or one that you feel mirrors your concerns. For each ecosystem highlighted in our Sacred Nature books and on the SNI Website we have identified organisations that we believe are making a difference and reflect the SNI ethos of Inspire-Educate-Conserve. And of course the SNI cannot fulfil its mission without both the emotional and financial support of sponsors and donors. If you would like to support our work please reach out to us at:

hello@sacrednatureinitiative.com

Additional resources: Forests

We have included here additional resources such as books, articles, videos, podcasts and websites of organisations making a significant contribution to Reconnecting People to Our Planet and pioneering change.

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World: Peter Wohlleben: Greystone Books, 2015

Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chapters: Translated and with commentary by David Hinton: Counterpoint, Berkeley, 2014.
Revered for millennia in the Chinese spiritual tradition, Chuang Tzu stands alongside the Tao Te Ching as a founding classic of Taoism. On their deepest level, the Inner Chapters are a meditation on the mysteries of knowledge itself. "Chuang Tzu's propositions," the translator's introduction reminds us, "seem to be in constant transformation, for he deploys words and concepts only to free us of words and concepts." Hinton's vital new translation makes this ancient text from the golden age of Chinese philosophy come alive for contemporary readers.

Handbook of Nature Study: Anna Botsford Comstock: Cornell University Press, 1986
Anna Botsford Comstock believed that we should know first and best the things closest to us. Only then, when we have an intimate knowledge of our neighbors, should we, journey farther afield to learn about more distant things. Details of the most common, but in some ways the most interesting, things are brought out, first by careful, nontechnical descriptions of the things themselves and later by thoughtful questions and study units. Whether the reader lives in the inner city or in the rural outback, the handbook is a treasure trove of information. To enter this book in search of information about any common organism, stone, or object in the sky is to open the door to a fresh and lively acquaintance with one's environment. This classic work has been the natural history bible for countless teachers and others who seek information about their environment. Written originally for those elementary school teachers who knew little of common plants and animals, and even less about the earth beneath their feet and the skies overhead, this book is for the most part as valid and helpful today as it was when first written in 1911―and revised in the spirit of its authors by a group of naturalists in 1939. After all, dandelions, toads, robins, and constellations have changed little since then! And modern society's concern with the quality of life and the impact of people on soil, water, and wildlife makes this book even more relevant.

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