Pacific Rainforest to Atlantic Rainforest - Sitka Spruce

Remnant Atlantic Rainforest - Lone Scots Pine - Tiroran Community Forest, Isle of Mull, Scotland

Here is just one specimen of native decent. Over the years the lands on Mull and throughout Scotland have been planted with Sitka Spruce. There was a time after WWII that the lumber was needed to build houses. It has been an industry ever since.

These trees are grown and clearcut. I walked into the forest to see what I could see, hear and feel. There was no noise, no birds not a sound. There was no understory, no life and it felt very earie.

Pacific Rainforest, Vancouver Island, Port Renfrew, Fairy Creek

Here the majestic and ancient Red Cedars, Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce stand. While walking amongst them there are stumps everywhere showing signs of decay and days gone by. It hurt to walk on the roots. While trudging along with my hiking boots on everyone once is awhile my boot would slip and rub off the damp moss on the roots. Beneath the colour of red, blood red. It should be that we are asked to walk amongst these trees with care and BOOTLESS, BAREFOOT instead.

Arriving at the Biggest Sitka Spruce just off of a logging road used to clearcut Douglas Fir at Fairy Creek. This place was a place of protest and rightly so. We approached her and asked for permission to come closer. My heart felt her and eventhough she was still standing and a new tree had grown out of her she was the mother tree and I am sure has felt the pain of the all the others.

DEVASTATION...........

I began to look around and found the beauty in death. This was the only place I had seen the spring ephemerals showing themselves. The trout lily and the mayapple. We circled the tree three times offering our gratitude. Surrounding the base of her was the wood that was sloughing off. The slugs found their home in this. I looked up, way up and could see the resin dripping down and shining in the sunlight.

She is giving back to the earth in ALL ways.

So now we are going to carry the energy of these magnificent native, ancient old growth trees on the West Coast of Canada with the knowledge and vibrancy of the past to the new growth, non-native. lifeless trees on the West Coast of Scotland and offer healing.

#lulus_herbs