From the Ground Up

By Michael Collins, Teravana

These days, when we hear about Mother Nature, it is usually because we are talking about climate change. The intentions of these discussions are often good, but talking about carbon in the atmosphere is limiting. We can’t really reach out and touch the sky.

Rather than focus on winning and losing, scientists and environmentalists are focusing on actions with immediate impacts. Most species don’t have the option of waiting to see what will happen at different benchmarks, 10 or 50 years down the line. 

Unlike people, trees take root in the ground. They can’t walk to somewhere new if their world is in danger. They can defend against pests, disease, and many threats but can’t always control what happens on the forest floor. For example, dry, warm winters do not help giant sequoias who depend on runoff from melted snow. 

Habitats are changing rapidly enough to impede the survival of certain species now and in the future. An answer is to assist in their migration, not by pulling trees out of the ground and moving them, but by introducing or reintroducing saplings with the same genetics as ones already standing in a native habitat to more suitable habitats. Assisted migration is not a way of giving up on trees in challenging circumstances; it helps ensure these species survive.  

Tree planters are taking action, finding new homes for redwoods and sequoias, places cooler and moister and farther north up the West Coast than where they are most commonly found today. For example, giant sequoias may better survive in northern California than in their native southern Sierras. The same holds for coast redwoods planted in Washington—a historical home to redwood forests, but one with a cooler climate than further down the coast. 

Trees, like so many plants, animals, insects, and birds, are multitalented. For example, beavers create habitats that benefit their livelihoods and feed the forest; native grasses keep water in the ground and protect trees from wildfire; trees help retain moisture in the soil and give off moisture. 

People are seeing all that can be done now, on the ground, to benefit the planet. Moving trees and ensuring their survival fortifies the new forests, helping the surrounding trees and enhancing biodiversity. Redwoods and sequoias planted at Teravana will thrive in the moist and seasonally cool climate, where fog often hangs low. The trees will add structure, bringing water to the ground and creating less run-off when it rains, all benefiting the health of the soil.

Teravana recognizes the interconnectedness of everything, planting as many trees as it can, freeing the land to heal from the ground up. Fortifying our most resilient tree species and empowering the ground beneath raises awareness of what we can do now. 

Join us by attending one of Teravana’s workshops and/or donating: https://www.teravana.org/canopy-of-giving/