October 2024 Treecologist Tribune

It’s beginning to feel a lot like autumn! Some of the things I love most about this season are the dazzling skyscapes laden with unusual clouds and hues of orange, the quiet beauty of frost on a dead flower head, and the extra bright sunlight in the morning. What do you love most about this time of the year?

If the trees were to answer this question, they might respond with a sigh of relief, now that their 2-month shower is finally over! Jokes aside, it’s a great time to be a tree, assuming you have healthy soil to hold adequate water. Why is it a terrific time for trees? Since July 21, we have received over 25 inches of rain, well above normal levels! During this same period, temperatures were quite moderate, which means most trees enjoyed ideal growing conditions over the past several months.

As we enter the dormant season, most pest issues begin to subside. There are exceptions, of course, especially regarding wood-boring beetles. Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Ambrosia Beetle, Turpentine Beetle, and a handful of others are still active. Without cold weather, they will remain active through much of the dormant season, which has happened for the last several years. Hopefully, we’ll have a cold winter!

Speaking of winter, Leaf & Limb is hosting a Winter Celebration at our Raleigh office on Saturday, December 14! We’ll have options for tours or a pruning class, followed by drinks, snacks, conversation, and a raffle. We’ll have trees from Project Pando and free copies of From Wasteland to Wonder available for attendees. We have space for 300 guests, so stay tuned to our next newsletter when we announce the registration information. I’m excited to see you there!

Another newsworthy item: Leaf & Limb is in the middle of our annual native seed drive, and we could use your help spreading the word and collecting seeds! Right now, more seeds are available than at any other time of the year. Here is a short list of the seed species we need the most: oaks, dogwood, buckeye, redbud, wax myrtle, hickory, pecan, pawpaw, persimmon, silky dogwood, wing sumac, and walnut. And this is a list of other species that are available now.

I have received a lot of questions about my thoughts regarding Hurricane Helene’s effects and various political candidates, e.g., the Soil & Water Conservation Supervisor for various counties. I’ll answer both at a meta level.

In what amounts to a mere two seconds on the Cosmic Calendar, our treatment of the Earth has destroyed half of all forests and grasslands, denuded half of all soil, and wiped out the majority of all non-human life. These actions affect critical systems like water cycles, weather, and CO2 in the atmosphere. In short, we are deconstructing the very mechanisms that make life possible on this planet and now things are going haywire. Is it really a surprise that 1,000- and 100-year floods are now happening every other year? If any of this is new information, I recommend that you check out the brief, engaging primer on these topics in the opening sections of my book. You can download the book for free or buy the hard copy at cost.

But there is hope! We can solve global warming in one generation, along with all the terrible 1,000-year storms that come with it. We need to plant native trees, flowers, and grasses; build soil; and do everything possible to promote an outrageous abundance and diversity of life. We need to grow, distribute, and store food in a way that heals Earth rather than destroying it. We must change how we raise livestock, manage waste, and develop land. The list goes on and on. To this end, I want to reference a great book called Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken. This book is an essential read, one of the most important books written in the last 50 years. I strongly recommend it to those interested in tangible paths toward healing Earth and solving major issues like global warming in a reasonable amount of time.

This brings us to politics. We need to elect people who understand these basic concepts, particularly those who are in roles that affect water, soil, trees, grasslands, public lands, parks, and agriculture. Healing Earth is the path that helps to solve global warming and lead us to healthier lives. To that end, vote for candidates who understand these important ideas and who have plans and policies in place that will help heal Earth (preferably those promoted by Drawdown).

I hope this was helpful and informative. Please send me your feedback and questions! And, if you can, enjoy at least one magnificent autumn sunset without distractions. 🌇 It’s magical.