I am grateful for the coming of spring and the reflection I see in new life in this cottonwood tree by my apartment in St Louis Park. Here is a close up of the swelling bud of the red catkin of the cottonwood tree.
Thinking of my Field Botany Mentor, Donald Lawrence PHD, pictured here along the Mississippi River gorge with students, including Matthew Wood, Herbalist Author with the bike. In the spring we would go for walks this time of year along the east bank of the Mississippi from the Botany Greenhouse, then on East River Road. I was a teaching assistant in the 1970's at the U of M for Don in a course called Field Botany. Don taught us to recognize that characteristics of plants so we could learn from them about their place in ecology. We would drive to Cedar Creek each week to look at the natural history of a plant that selected each student to study. I remember one student, Sue, who worked with the hazel and noticed the small flowers this time of year. Thanks Don and Lib Lawrence for your generous vision and support with your teaching and generous work at Cedar Creek Natural History Area that you helped establish. Thanks for sharing in your cabin there as well!
Reflections on the trees of life. Here I am with an over 2000 year old yew in the are of the south of England in 2009. Story has it the yew forests were cut down to create long bows for the wars of the two leggeds. Such grace and grandeur being with this old relative. And how amazing it is still here as a beacon to another time. Trees can talk!
My elders have continued teaching me about noticing and how trees are so grounding to many humans. One of my Lakota teachers often reflects that each tree reflects the Lords Prayer of the Christian tradition, so above we can Create Heaven here on earth. Already the chan oyate "tree nation" are here as our grounded relatives living with the Creators instructions. Showing us to have deep resilient roots. The trees create oxygen and bring water up for air conditioning and transpiration of the planet we share with them. Recently several of this trees' relatives were cut down that were shading my garage here in my apartment complex. This morning I took out tobacco to pray for the give away of the tree nation and thank them. . Also I prayed this morning for understanding for the need for sustainable harvesting of our forests and plants all over the world so we can live in harmony for the next seven generations with all the plants and animals here on Mother Earth.
Here is one of my family trees: The Cole or Cowles Family that came over from the Gloucestershire area in 1635 to New England. I pray for health for the tree nation as well as the two leggeds so we can live here on Mother Earth in harmony for many generations to come. May we all walk in peace, love, joy and harmony on our earth journey. Mitakuye Oyasin.
