Nature, even the little bits of it in our urban environment, is a source of sanity. If we are mindful, each of us have our special totem. It is trees for me. I am continually struck by their beauty in all seasons and all their forms.
Only until recently have we begun to really understand the complexity and beauty of these plants. I wonder whether this is because we live on hugely different time scales and speed. Left alone, most tree species can easily outlive multiple human lifetimes. To a tree, if it senses us at all, we would be just a blur, gone in a blink. As we walk among trees we are completely unaware of the mycelium network under our feet that trees use to communicate about threats from insects or to send nutrients to each other as needed. It can take anywhere around a century for a fallen tree to fully decompose. During this time it continues to support life in many ways, providing shelter and a food source for insects and the microscopic to right up the food chain.
When a tree falls in the forest, we may not hear it. It is arrogant to think that’s relevant. The forest hears it on the “wood wide web” (1). It’s not gone, it’s changed.
(1) First coined by the journal of Nature for Dr. Simard’s discovery. See also “The Hidden Life of TREES” by Peter Wohlleben – excellent book!
Watercolour, 11×14 on 140 lb cold press paper, mounted on gallery (1.5″) cradled board – $180
ISTVAN JOBST FINE ART 