Like the First Nations and the American Bison, the ancient growth forests of "the Lower 48" were decimated not that long ago, and in short order. However, some stands remain, some ancient trees remain, many First Nations remain and the American Bison has been saved, barely, from extinction. I've been in a quest for all of my adult life to connect with these categorical survivors, symbolically and in person, so it was with great curiosity that I picked up a library copy of Eric Rutkow's American Canopy: Trees, Forests, and the Making of a Nation (New York: Scribner, 2012). Will report back on this book when I'm done reading it.
What do older trees and ancient forests mean for you?
Today's Rune: Flow.
2 comments:
At least I had the opportunity to walk through the last stands of the old growth North American rainforests and see some of the multiplicity of sub-ecosystems they harbor.
That was 3 decades ago though--I always cringe when I see Redwood, even though I know it's not one of the ancient trees brought down.
One of the most depressing maps I have seen.
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