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January 19, 1989 - Trees Provide a Sense of PoetryFocus on Nature: Trees Provide a Sense of Poetry By Paul Stoutenburgh I've never lived without trees around our house. By that I mean our house and my folks' house were both built in the woods. Trees have been an integral part of our lives. They've shaded our houses and kept them cool in the summer. They have protected our homes from harsh winter winds during the winter and given grace and charm to the landscape about us. There is a trade -off in almost everything we do. Trees are a perfect example. While there are advantages to having them around your home, there are also disadvantages. We have leaves to rake in the fall, fallen branches to pick up and cart away and the house does not have the abundance of sun- light that it would if we had built in the mid- dle of a field. But to us the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. To have a tree where an oriole can build its hanging nest and serenade us with his song is but one advantage to having trees nearby. Then, of course, the squirrel can climb and frolic in the bare branches and sit on one to watch over all as he munches a hickory nut recovered from his winter's cache. And where would I nail my birdhouse if we had no trees? Or where would I strap my suet feeder that attracts the woodpeck- ers, nuthatches, chickadees -.nd other win- ter residents that enjoy their hardy winter meal? There are some problems I have with my suet feeder and birdhouses by the way. Some - timcc when Mr. Raccoon is on the prowl he'll rip the birdhouses free in search of a sleep- ing mouse or a cache of winter fruit and of- ten he'll tear my suet feeder apart but then that's part of the game. Saved Trees Close to the House I remember well arguing with the contrac- tor who dug our cellar to be especially care- ful of the trees I marked to leave. It was good he was an understanding person for it's not easy to maneuver big equipment around trees; it would have been much easier just to knock a few more down. Some of the trees still hold marks on their bark where the bull- dozer backed into them. Long Island has basically two types of for- est growth: What you see along the Express- way and what is found throughout the center of the island called scrub pine. Periodic fires have kept these down in size which is part of their natural heritage. We hear more and more about these pine barrens because un- der them are the greatest caches of fresh wa- ter to be found on Long Island. I'm always emphasizing the importance of trees and whenever I take a group on a na- ture walk I ask participants to feel the bark of various trees. It might sound strange but there's a lot to learn from running your hand over an oak or black cherry or pine tree. Each has its own characteristics. The oak is coarse and rough with deep grooves —its color is almost black. The white oak is some- what similar but not as coarse and not so deeply grooved and its color is almost silv- ery white. The shaggy bark hickory in our ..s front yard has an entirely different feel. Its long shakes of bark are sharp and rough and can be picked off easily. The black cherry along the hedgerow is likewise sharp and grooved but its color is much darker than the hickory. There's a smooth feeling to the crooked shad out in front. Its dark grey bark with light streaks is smooth and has a nice feel to it. Senses Dulled Over Years I'm afraid we're getting to be a society that does not use its senses enough. As the old say- ing goes, "If you don't use it, you'll lose itl" No doubt about it. I think our early ancestors were much keener in all their senses and used them much more than we do today. Grandma could thread a needle easily when she was go. Their noses told them if some- thing was good or bad. Their sharp ears could hear a deer walking in the woods and their hands could tell if the grain was dry enough to be thrashed. In today's world our senses are abused and deadened by loud and abra- sive sounds. Our eyes are under constant threat and demand for use. Our noses are ex- posed to an ever - widening list of man -made smells, including some that irritate and burn. The trees and forest can help us to better use our senses. The soft wind in the treetops is something to be heard and remembered. The coolness of the forest in the summer and the protection from the winter winds give us security, a sense of well being. The smell of pine underfoot as we pass through a cathe- dral of green or even the aroma of splitting wood has a special meaning belonging to a m more earthly world. And what majesty our eyes see in the won- der of a tree: it grows from a tiny acorn, struggles with vigor as a stippling for its place in the sun. We see the grandeur of a full-grown tree with its color change in the fall and its skeletal form in the winter that awaits spring's warming trend. Then the sap flows, the buds swell and we see again the miracle of the renewal of life. Our eyes are there for us to see the tree. Everyone remem- bers the words of Joyce Kilmer: "I think that I shall never see A poem as lovely as a tree." Last Week's Solution Una DODD Damon ,Bongo B BUD WOOD WOOD Mumma IDM000 Boom wagon oOman g oaBHOOD now Duo Oman DODD mama Bongo now BOOM among °Magoon ago© °Danou Mama Damon Down now Una Una amommmmnanom now Dug HBO Doug Doman Booms Ban Mae am• Bm goonoomogg Dom uman man BOHM anuma Daum noun emu Dung ago DOD ggmamoo Dgagggnmmggammm ©ago aamam Oman agog Damon Mumma DODD mama DUMB BOB Doman among Donau