PEACE from TREES

Four of 28

Wings wish to be wings and are wings. Eyes want to see and are seeing. Heart flows warmth of body grows mind of spirit limitless.... First one voice, than the rest of us come to life as wish-whisper-waiting in light-green Spring halos... Wind change our eyes now that they're open.

Sun will burn halos to Summer green. Teach us, teach us to sing a growing layer over layer of newer and newer song that's sung over the last one. Sung of water, of sun, of a wind that's all that's ever been. Song-beauty-clear-breath as wind ocean waves run into an edge of every continent...

First far off then blown ashore to move grain-sand-slurry journey shaping and unshaping the edge of all land. Pulse-shape-rhythm-wild our journey among many grains as wings wish to be wings and are wings, eyes want to see and are seeing, heart flows warmth of shorelines mind of spirit limitless.

Poem by DeaneTR (c)2007 - Photos from the internet
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This series of 28 photo-poems are inspired by recent scientific discoveries related to forests around the world. The poem above is inspired by the condensed news articles below. If you'd like to learn about forest issues from around the world on a regular basis subscribe to my newsletter / weblog which is called: "Earth's Tree News" and can be viewed on the web at http://www.livejournal.com/users/olyecology
or via email by sending a blank messge to earthtreenews-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
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What nonscientist might not know is that in the brain of a blind person, the huge area normally assigned as the visual cortex will now posess sound and touch. Researchers have also blindfolded sighted individuals for five days, and in as few as two days, MRIs showed bursts of activity in their visual cortex when they performed tasks with their fingers or even when they listened to tones or voices. Scientists can also perform a functional brain scan on a sighted person and view the area assigned in the sensory cortex that is mapped for sensation in their fingertips. When we compare scan results from a sighted person to a brain scan of a blind person while he or she is using fingertips to read Braille, much larger components of the Brain's sensory cortex light up. This signifies that, by consciously paying attention and applying repetition, the brain is plastic enough to begin to reassign new areas to compensate for the change in type of stimuli. --Evolve Your Brain by Joe Dispenza http://www.htibooks.com


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The economic value and life saving functions of coral reefs and mangroves are brought into sharp focus in a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Reefs and mangroves are fast disappearing across the globe, with a 60 per cent reduction in coral predicted by 2030. The report encourages decision makers to recognise this urgent situation, and protect coastal habitats of importance to humans. It underlines the vital role these natural features play in tourism, stemming coastal erosion and acting as nurseries for fish and other species. The publication presents a sound case for reef and mangrove conservation in light of the costs of their removal or substitution with man-made structures. New studies triggered by the tsunami and tropical storms are taken into account, as well as the benefits of these ecosystems for those impacted by extreme events. Recent research has valued coral reefs at between US$100,000 and US$600,000 per square kilometre per year, and mangroves at more than $900,000 per square kilometre per year. The estimated cost of protecting these resources, through the management costs of a marine protected area, is just US$775 per square kilometre per annum. http://www.earthisland.org/map/valuation.htm

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Wood from cypress, which full-grown rise 75-100 feet into the sky, is valued for its beauty and its resistance to rot and insects, and there is a market hungry for everything from cypress shingles and lawn furniture, to cabinets and mulch. But some scientists worry that harvesting the majestic trees could destroy a fragile ecosystem. Ecology professor Gary Shaffer says cypress play a crucial role in the swamp forests that cover hundreds of thousands of acres of coastal Louisiana. These swamps prevent floods by collecting storm waters and clean water by filtering out pollution. They also provide habitat for a wide variety of animals, such as migratory songbirds. Shaffer says the loss of cypress trees upsets the whole ecosystem, turning swamps into inhospitable marshes. He and other local scientists closely studied sections of swamp and extrapolated their findings to the entire area. A preliminary estimate suggests that 80 percent of the remaining coastal Louisiana's cypress forests would not grow back if cut down. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and other Louisiana state officials know better than anyone the importance of protecting cypress wetland forests. Please sign this letter to the Governor asking her to halt the destruction of these vital wetland forests for cheap garden mulch. http://www.waterkeeper.org/mainarticledetails.aspx?articleid=222 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4666540


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The low areas of the world's largest mangrove forest, declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, are flooded by tidal waters every year due to rise of sea level and excessive silt deposit that cause diseases and deaths to various kinds of trees. Many diseases, including 'Agamora' (top dying), affect different species of plants and trees, including the Sundari tree, in the Satkhira Range of the Sundarbans. Sources at the forest department research centre said the quantum of salinity in the rivers and canals in the Satkhira Range of the Sundarbans is 27-33 PPT against the accepted level of 5-10 PPT. Not only the trees and plants, but also many species of animals and birds have been facing extinction due to salinity on the ground. The concerned departments of the government, however, have not taken any action to protect the bio-diversity of the forest.
http://www.betelco.com/bd/sundar/sundar.html

PEACE from TREES