Why forests matter to me: Quotes from staff and supporters
Ogilvie sunset on forest, BC (Photo by NCC)
Across the country, countless Canadians have been celebrating trees and forests last week as well as welcoming the arrival of fall.
Although National Forest Week is behind us, there are good reasons to continue appreciating our forests and trees! Forests are not only an important habitat for many species, but they also play a huge role in sustaining life on Earth: such as producing the air we breathe and facilitating the nutrient cycle. Here at the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), we’ve asked some of our staff and supporters to tell us why trees and forests are special in their lives, and hopefully their answers will inspire you to think more deeply about your connection with forests!
Denise Roy says oak trees are a symbol of strength and endurance. (Photo by Denise Roy/ NCC staff)
Denise Roy, NCC’s New Brunswick conservation coordinator
"I’m fond of most trees, but the oak has always been (to me and to many) a symbol of strength and endurance. I’m always left wondering what stories they could tell if we only listened well enough. This quote by David Icke is one of my favourites:
'Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.' – David Icke"
Carly Digweed, digital marketing coordinator at NCC
Carly Digweed and her love of trees. (Photo by Carly Digweed/ NCC staff)
"Growing up, our house backed onto a small forested area. My sister and I would explore these woods for hours on end, flipping rocks in search of salamanders, or using the tall pines as shelter in lengthy games of hide and seek. For me, trees mean home."
Jeannette Martin, avid nature lover and conservationist, also an NCC donor
Jeannette with her special tree (Photo by Wanda Kowalchuk/ NCC staff)
"I love trees because they are so very beautiful in their different shapes, sizes and colours. They have always been my very special friends. As a child, they were my friends to play with, to hug and to talk with and especially to listen to. They always talked to me and still do if I listen to them very intently. They were and continue to be home to my friends the birds and the wild animals like the deer and the beautiful bushy tailed grey squirrels.
Trees bring me much pleasure and make me very happy. They know how to help me feel calm and relaxed. I am ever grateful to them for continuing to be part of my life and I thank the Creator for the bountiful beauty of trees."
Dan Kraus, Weston conservation scientist at the Nature Conservancy of Canada
Dan Kraus with a big old-growth white pine in Algonquin Park, Ontario. (Photo by Dan Kraus/ NCC staff)
“Big trees invoke both wonder and humility. They each have a past, a present and a future at a scale beyond human terms.
In many parts of Canada we’ve lost our knowledge and memory of old-growth forests. Many of the forests protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada will one day be forests of big, old trees and our children and grandchildren will have an opportunity to rediscover this lost ecosystem.”
What is YOUR connection to trees and forests? Whether it is a tree you knew all your life or a forest filled with fond memories, or one that gave you solace in times of challenge, we'd like to hear about it! Let us know in the comment box below.
