Mother Tree Stewardship

A Blue Jay flew squawking into a crown alerting all the other birds around News of coming danger ran through the stand down to the floor and across all the land The Mother Tree signaled through the air, it's time to send this message everywhere The "Wood Wide Web" ground network zone below fosters real resilience for those who know - plants, roots, insects, fungi and ground creatures, all are friends of the "Wisdom Woods" features Shielding transmissions sent through bio pathways, believing that trees talk amazes always Defense signals, part of Mother Tree's plan all the network's players do what they can Talk to the beetles or bring on the ants, tell all the mammals to plan for the plants Emit volatiles, thicken bark, drop low limbs, muster the toxins and so it begins Humans think a month is a lot of time forests manage on a far longer line Members of forests are strong cooperators loggers have long been thoughtless invaders Mother Tree's perspective is much broader we must rely on nature's own order Tree wisdom for ages, a half billion years gathers the forest and allays all fears Nature's courage to keep danger at bay, the forest dispenses at once without delay Mother Tree knows to save each of its young all will feel the light, today's dappled sun Notes: The "Wisdom Woods" is imaginary and intended to be a part of The National Park System, about two thousand acres with an approximate stand of a thousand trees of a dozen various species. Various types of fungi, plants, avian life, ground creatures, fish and insects all exist in this plot of land. A staff of two would monitor, record and document all movements and changes in these populations. As well, they would react to any and all attacks in cooperative concert with the forest defenses against blight, weather, infestation, abuse and lastly, fire. They too would conduct all needed maintenance. Academic institutions would conduct experimentation and research for the public interest and good on this land. There are several streams and three ponds for water fowl and aquatic life to round out the ecosystem. Since Mother Trees aggregate the (nearly half billion year old history) aged wisdom of forest network management their focused, in natural tree time, reactions and actions would be studied as leading the strategic knowledge for this section of land. This would precede the judgment of humans. Noted experts in this field: Susanne Simard, David George Haskell, Dennis Wohlleben and Robin Wall Kimmerer are credited (among others) with the inspiration to construct and write this demonstration poem for the general public's interest and information.