The Language of Trees
The transfixing power of the language of the trees is immense. Trees are very sociable and care for and support one another. They hide many wonders that we are only just beginning to understand, they experience pain and have memories too. A tree’s most important means of staying connected to other trees is through a ‘wood-wide web’ of soil fungus (Mycorrhizal Fungi) that connects vegetation in an intimate network of communication, sharing both information and nutrients.
Isolated trees, however, have shorter lives than trees living within a copse or woodland setting. Parent trees live together with their children supporting them as they grow and even warn each other of impending danger, such as drought, fire or caterpillar infestation. They protect their young and in an emergency such as shock or trauma feed them sugars to aid recovery. The more we try to understand them the more we begin to realise that trees are like human families.
When planting a tree, we must give it room to grow, good nourishment and keep a watchful eye on its development. The stake will support it until it can fend for itself and mature into a fine specimen, it’s just like bringing up a youngster.
You may wonder why trees are such social beings, the answer I believe is the same as with human communities. There are many advantages to working together. A tree on its own is at the mercy of the elements, whereas trees growing in a protected environment protect one another and may live to a very old age, reaching grandfather status. I believe our majestic grandfather trees should be allowed to fulfil their social needs, to grow on undisturbed and pass on their knowledge to the next generation and finally die in a natural way.
Trees are like people working together in a very special, almost magical way, they have a lot to teach us. The role of the trees and our hedgerows is to store vital amounts of carbon which is fundamental to our wellbeing and that of all living things. For everything in nature is intrinsically meshed and we must look upon ourselves as guardians of all of nature and become caretakers on behalf of future generations yet to be born.
It is hoped that by purveying this little story it will enable you to truly appreciate the joy trees bring to us, both for the spirit and the soul.
