Trees of the Living

My boss sent me this link today about the connection between trees and human health. Interesting enough, I worked on the Emerald Ash Borer project when the insect was new to the US. I witness the destruction of 1000's of infested trees. All the years spent cataloging trees of the Indiana forests were great years as far as jobs go (low pay, but really high job satisfaction), but I knew eventually we would see the rapid decline of our urban and wild forests. And, we are.

I also ran across this tree related bit on a blog I read. I haven't searched for the actual story she refers to, but the coincidence of the two pro-tree connections to our lives is not hard to miss. We are connected to the world around us. I took this rather boring photo last weekend, but after I downloaded it from the camera, I realized it looks a little bit like our nervous system. It's no secret that nature repeats her gorgeous artwork everywhere.

I really need to be pro-active on this one. In 2010 I moved from a nature-oriented, outdoor job to an urban one. I have no idea if it is connected, but I have seen a huge decline in my health over the last couple of years: weight gain, a general fatigue, a development of allergies where I had none, etc. If it is simply I have not spent enough time in nature, then I must return.

I plan to plant more trees in 2013 for our health and for the future. I plan to hike more, find more natural places to explore, take my self and my children back to the forest.

Image taken with Canon Rebel XT on January 12, 2013