The Presence of Trees
A conversation with a tree is first and foremost a feeling in your body; a moment of recognition, of empathy. Certain trees have a powerful presence and they make an important contribution to the Genius Loci, the spirit of a place. They are a natural focus for reintegration, by which I mean the development of the sense that we all exist as facets of the greater whole which we usually think of as our environment "out there". Trees have always had a special magic, calling us to acknowledge a deep interconnectedness. Rooted in the earth and reaching towards the sky not only are they a connection between worlds, they unite them. Like a gesture of the hand or a hieroglyph for wholeness, they can show us everything.
Some special words that I live by and help share.
Jamie Robertson
Wakefield, QC
January 9, 2012
Some special words that I live by and help share.
Jamie Robertson
Wakefield, QC
January 9, 2012
Why I'm a Supporter
_I live in Chelsea North, almost on the border of Wakefield. I drive on the Highway 5 extension almost every day. Until recently, I was not opposed to the continuation of the development. I was aware that its construction would involve a change to the landscape, but I assumed it would be marginal. As councilor Louis Rompre has stated, "No matter where you put it, it's going to go through some natural areas."
I must admit, for the most part, the latest extension has made my drive to work more safe, although it does not seem to stop my fellow drivers from speeding which is risky on both 2 and 4 lane highways. The extra lanes seem to invite more rushing, which in my experience, is the real threat on such a road.
The need to rush, the "tyranny of the clock," is a relatively new phenomenon. We humans have always kept track of time, of course, but the commodification of time as we experience it today, like so many of the ills of modern society, really began in the industrial revolution. The Romantic poets resisted the changes they witnessed taking place in their environment.
Grieving the loss of Nature as a source of wisdom, our real moral compass, Wordsworth writes,
No grandeur now in nature or in book
Delights us. Rapine, avarice, expense,
This is idolatry; and these we adore:
Plain living and high thinking are no more:
The homely beauty of the good old cause
is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence,
And pure religion breathing household laws.
The resistance to the expansion entered my own household, and my heart, shortly after my husband, John Barkley, attended one of the meetings of concerned citizens; I gained more sympathy for the people living closer to the site now in question. And then John shot photos of two spectacular old growth pines. I could not believe that such trees still existed in this area. Perhaps more than 200 years old, they were alive when Wordsworth observed troubling changes. They well established when Canada was born. They tower like skyscrapers above their fellow trees. If these trees were buildings in an urban area, developers would be obliged to build around them as heritage sites.
The people in our community demonstrating against the highway expansion are asking what is the hurry? Why must these trees be felled this winter? Why not wait until the extension underway catches up to area in question. They are recommending that the clear cut be postponed and, in the meantime, the route be reconsidered because the current plans represent an unnecessarily overbuilt highway. Mr. Henry, Directeur de l’Outaouais MTQ, states that, "the Ministry implemented all the necessary actions to limit the impacts on the environment." Jamie Roberston is inviting anyone and everyone to come up to La Peche and at the very least, experience these trees and - perhaps - question for themselves question whether or not the impact on the environment has been as limited as it could be. As Anne Winship has expressed, these trees belong to all of us.
And so I find myself agreeing with the demonstrators and asking what is the rush or is this schedule tyrannical. I cannot believe that the only way to continue the expansion is to sacrifice these trees. Surely it is not too late to learn from history. This expansion has been in the works for decades. What harm could be done by waiting for another few seasons?
With this in mind, we invite you to meet these trees for yourself.
Margaret Barkley
Chelsea, QC
January 6, 2012
I must admit, for the most part, the latest extension has made my drive to work more safe, although it does not seem to stop my fellow drivers from speeding which is risky on both 2 and 4 lane highways. The extra lanes seem to invite more rushing, which in my experience, is the real threat on such a road.
The need to rush, the "tyranny of the clock," is a relatively new phenomenon. We humans have always kept track of time, of course, but the commodification of time as we experience it today, like so many of the ills of modern society, really began in the industrial revolution. The Romantic poets resisted the changes they witnessed taking place in their environment.
Grieving the loss of Nature as a source of wisdom, our real moral compass, Wordsworth writes,
No grandeur now in nature or in book
Delights us. Rapine, avarice, expense,
This is idolatry; and these we adore:
Plain living and high thinking are no more:
The homely beauty of the good old cause
is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence,
And pure religion breathing household laws.
The resistance to the expansion entered my own household, and my heart, shortly after my husband, John Barkley, attended one of the meetings of concerned citizens; I gained more sympathy for the people living closer to the site now in question. And then John shot photos of two spectacular old growth pines. I could not believe that such trees still existed in this area. Perhaps more than 200 years old, they were alive when Wordsworth observed troubling changes. They well established when Canada was born. They tower like skyscrapers above their fellow trees. If these trees were buildings in an urban area, developers would be obliged to build around them as heritage sites.
The people in our community demonstrating against the highway expansion are asking what is the hurry? Why must these trees be felled this winter? Why not wait until the extension underway catches up to area in question. They are recommending that the clear cut be postponed and, in the meantime, the route be reconsidered because the current plans represent an unnecessarily overbuilt highway. Mr. Henry, Directeur de l’Outaouais MTQ, states that, "the Ministry implemented all the necessary actions to limit the impacts on the environment." Jamie Roberston is inviting anyone and everyone to come up to La Peche and at the very least, experience these trees and - perhaps - question for themselves question whether or not the impact on the environment has been as limited as it could be. As Anne Winship has expressed, these trees belong to all of us.
And so I find myself agreeing with the demonstrators and asking what is the rush or is this schedule tyrannical. I cannot believe that the only way to continue the expansion is to sacrifice these trees. Surely it is not too late to learn from history. This expansion has been in the works for decades. What harm could be done by waiting for another few seasons?
With this in mind, we invite you to meet these trees for yourself.
Margaret Barkley
Chelsea, QC
January 6, 2012
