Singing to the Trees

In early 2018, eight of us gathered at Turtle Rock and created a ritual to support the trees who were (and are) under mortal threat from an ash borer. I’ve continued singing the song we wrote as I walk about this native plant sanctuary of woods and meadow.

Perhaps you’d like to join me and sing to the trees.

As we sing this song may your roots grow firm and strong,
May your bark to the sapwood cling.
May the forest thrive, growing healthy and alive,
And the allies join us as we sing.

From root and thread to the canopy overhead,
We honor the flow and ebb.
From underground to the highest leaf and crown,
We conjure [send love to] the Living Web.

by BrightFlame, Donnamarie, Elissa, Michelle, Misha, Rommy, Starhawk, and Willow

While we wrote the last line as “we conjure the living web,” I’ve since changed it to “we send love to” because we are part of the Living Web, and conjure felt more like we’re commanding the Web. If you share our song, kindly acknowledge it was written by the eight of us shown above.

There are many large ash trees at Turtle Rock. Some came down during Superstorm Sandy. I mourn for all the ash in this region of the Northeast U.S. that have died or been cut (killed) by humans anticipating borer attack. We’ve already lost the hemlocks to the woolly adelgid—it’s been a decade since those dear ones lived—and now the spotted lanternfly joins the emerald ash borer to threaten even more species, including red maples (the pic to the left is a red maple blooming earlier this month).

I’m writing this during the covid-19 pandemic. Just as our bodies are not yet able to counter the new corona virus, trees don’t have natural defenses against the invading insects, which are new arrivals to the region. Climate change yields systems out-of-balance.

Forests are under threat from climate change and from direct destruction by humans.

Mycologist and scientist Paul Stamets warns of waves of zoological viruses killing humans. As we damage/kill healthy forests, we lose the protective chemicals emitted by the Living Web: the trees and their mycorrhizal network partners. The chemicals are airborne natural vaccines, inoculating trees and animals against disease. Breathe deeply among trees: these chemicals help us stay healthy, too—we’re animals in the Living Web. 

May the forests thrive!

Sing them your love and gratitude.