stewards of the forest.

We are in Oregon at a family reunion and the trees are large and lovely...  Forests are endangered throughout the world. The trees might save us yet, as is suggested in an opinion piece in the NewYorkTimes. We might begin working to the best of our ability in harmony with the forests. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/22/opinion/trees-global-warming.html

First we need to create new generations of young folks sensitive to the value of diverse forests. When do children in schools get out into nature and when do they develop the sensitivity necessary to become stewards of the planet?

My cousin Newt, in his retirement works with the national parks removing invasive species. Rain or shine, the challenge gets him outdoors and after a long career in the banking industry, getting out of doors makes him happier, he says, than he's been in years. The task is overwhelming. There's no end to it, but engagement in the process of planetary restoration is a value that persists in the soul, of both man and the heavenly sphere.

Yesterday was our day to cook for the Stowe Family Reunion. While enchiladas were going into the oven, I sat on the back porch overlooking a field of green. The forest is so lovely, and so forgiving. Given time, it will correct things. "How much time," you ask? To develop a mature forest can take centuries. The planet may have that time, but we do not.

It is of absolute necessity that we get children into the outdoors, and that we take ourselves there, also. Friedrich Froebel lived in the Thuringen forest of Germany as a young man and establishing a relationship with the natural world was one of his objectives for Kindergarten.

Can we not each become stewards of the forest? That is one of my hopes. The photo shows some of the common carpentry tools used in the making of Timberline Lodge.

make, fix and create. Assist others in learning likewise.