Woods and forests can help rebuild and restore the land tree by tree. In doing so we don’t just restore the planet we restore some part of ourselves that was lost also. Here then is a story full of #PositiviTree for you that shares a glimpse of what I am talking about…
It was 1994 and Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado had just returned from a traumatic assignment reporting on the genocide in Rwanda. He returned to his family’s land to discover only about 0.5% of it was covered in trees.
“The land was as sick as I was – everything was destroyed,” said Salgado.
It was his wife’s idea to bring back the trees. Now with 293 species of trees, the land teems with 172 species of birds, 33 species of mammals, and 15 species of amphibians and reptiles, many of which are endangered. It has had a major impact on the ecosystem and climate. Besides reintroducing plants and animals to the area, the project has rejuvenated several once dried-up springs in the drought-prone area and has even positively affected local temperatures.
“Thanks to this increase of the trees I too was reborn, this was the most important moment.”
We tend to think of deforestation mainly happening in developing countries but this is not so. Here in Britain we have deforested a land that was once covered in temperate rain forest. Our industrial revolution did the exact same thing that is now happening in other countries across the world.
Reforestation and rewilding is something that needs to happen not just in countries far away from us, but something that needs to be done right now, right here. This is not ‘someone else’s problem’.
The so called ‘modern civilisation’ that we see today, that really gained ground as the colonising countries became industrialised, has infected the entire globe.
We have forgotten our place in the world, instead seeing ourselves as somehow outside of it.
“… at the moment, the entire global economy seems to be built on the model of digging things up from one hole in the ground on one side of the earth, transporting them around the world, using them for a few days, and sticking them in a hole in the ground on the other side of the world.”
― George Monbiot
There it is … this idea of everything being somewhere other than on our doorstep made explicit.
We are so far removed from the act of living that we have entirely forgotten how to live well and within our means.
What this lovely story above from Brazil reminds us about is that trees and humans share a deep connection. When we help the trees, we help ourselves. Both these things restore the planet. Native wisdom and connection is not just something that happens in remote tribes and unobtainable to us. We too have these connections and knowledge. We do have a chance to reclaim the green tree and singing bird as the proverb talks about.
What I think is true is that if you want to see the health of a people look at the land and water. We can see this organic, wholly natural relationship in the healing of Sebastião and how his personal connection with the Land restored it to life.
Reforestation is PlanetTree Healing in Action.
Are you planting trees? Do you have a story to share? Do get in touch I would love to hear from you.
Blessings from Amanda
Founder Ancient and Sacred Trees
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