I love big old ancient trees. The older the better. In ancient times, big old trees were thought to be magical entities that stood between heaven and earth. They guarded the secrets of the universe. Trees also represent a shelter for weary travelers. The give us food and medicine. I believe that the tree in the feature image is a Red Elm tree. Also known as the Slippery Elm, the inner bark yields a mucilaginous substance that is used to treat respiratory ailments. The tea made from the inner bark has a sweet spicy flavor that’s pleasant enough to enjoy just for relaxing. Don’t drink too much because it’s also a laxative.
I’m really surprised that this one is still around. Sadly, the Elm population was nearly destroyed by Dutch Elm Disease. In the spring the government hangs purple boxes in the trees that attracts the beetles responsible for the spread of fungus. The beetle traps seem to be working well so hopefully we’ll have these awesome trees around for generations of travelers to shelter under or collect medicine from.
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Yes, it is really important to save the trees and the environment. In a way, the digital age allows us to save paper at the very least and recycling initiatives deserve more traction.
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I’m all for conservation. Paper can only be recycled so many times so I’m also in favor of modern tree farming. The crop of trees is harvested every 10 or 15 years in designated areas and the farmer plants new trees in rotation so that he has a new crop every year. My family’s land gets a select cut every 30 years or so. If it’s done right we can have the best of both worlds. But the land next to my family was clear cut when I was a kid. It was awful!
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That’s a really good idea. I hope more states and counties would implement it.
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It’s actually what I went to college for. I live in the coal fields of West Virginia and I wanted to get into mine reclamation. Of course, God had other plans for my life.
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