Longwood Gardens

Yesterday we went to Longwood Gardens to attend Dr. Joan Maloof's lecture "Among the Ancients"  It was a very interesting lecture about the ancient (virgin) forests that are now at 1% of their original numbers.  The group was also surprised to find out that our National Parks and lands are not protected from logging and/or mineral depletion.  We also learned that amount of time it would take to put protection policies in place would make it almost impossible to save what is left of our old wood.  One of the group suggested that her old growth network get together with the game commission to help establish a network of old forests.  This would be a win/win.  The old forests is where the animals are most at home and it would help with the hunting experience for those who enjoy this sport.

www.OldGrowthForest.net

When I first moved to Conestoga, I loved the area for all the old trees and old forests.  I moved to Green Hill and was so glad that I did.  The deer, turkey, plaited woodpeckers and all the other animals were fund to watch and listen to.  In the past 10 years, the plaited woodpeckers are now gone; the deer population and dwindled and I no longer see any of the huge 16 point bucks that roamed here frequently; and much of the old wood on this mountain is gone too.  This was a wonderful forest of hardwoods such as beech, oak of several varieties, poplar, maple.  Many have been cut down to make room for roads, houses and grass.  What trees are being planted are Asian trees that have no benefit here.

Scientists are always warning us about global warming.  How can this not be happening with 99% of our forests now depleted?  They are the core of our earth.  The oxygen that we breath, the coolness that we feel on a hot day, homes for animals and food for us all.  They live on carbon dioxide and their roots stop erosion. They also help us save on fuel, but cooling our homes with their shade in the summer and in the winter, when their branches are bare, they allow the warm sun through to help with heat.  And yet we continue to destroy our forests.  We are drawn to the forest as are all animals.  This is where we find the beauty we so need to drop blood pressure and make sense of life.  Yet we are the only species that will see something beautiful and destroy it, hoping that it will become part of us.  In the end, all we did was destroy something beautiful.

When we built our home 10 years ago, we placed it in a knoll of a farm field.  The 1 1/4 acres that surrounds it we've planted 65 trees in that time, ranging from small understory food trees and large shrubs to poplar, ash, oak and maple for shade and living areas for birds.  We also planted a number of evergreen trees included in that count, again for food and shelter as well as wind breaks from the strong Westerlies that blow across the property.  Our bird population has increased to include sparrows (3 different species), wrens (2 species), finches (3 species), woodpeckers (4 species), thrashers, cardinals, blue jays, bluebirds, tree swallows, catbirds, mockingbirds, orioles (2 species), hummingbirds and hawks (2 species), the great horned owl and an occasional eagle.  Lots of visiting birds migrating or just visiting.

Unfortunately, our trees are still very young.  I won't live to see them mature, but will be able to enjoy them right now.  I've already watched our garden grow from barren and hot to a much more shady and inviting garden.  I hope to see it grow even larger.