Blog by Sister Terri Schell, OP
Director of the Shepherd’s Corner Ecology Center, Blacklick, OH
In our 2022 Chapter Commitments, the Dominican Sisters of Peace committed to treasure and reverence for the Earth in accordance with the teaching of Laudato Si’.
The federal government has targeted tens of millions of acres of U.S. forests for commercial use and regulatory rollbacks. They are moving to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule on roughly 44 million acres of national forests to allow logging and roadbuilding and fast-tracking environmental reviews by eliminating public comment requirements for environmental reviews. Earlier this month, more than 400 trees were cleared on public land in Washington, DC without approval or public comment.
For the next few weeks, we will be emphasizing the importance of old-growth trees to the health of our environment and our community. This week, we’re sharing educational materials from our Shepherd’s Corner Ecology Center in Ohio.
To learn more about the importance of mature forests and trees, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website. If you are inspired to replace trees being uprooted, please consider making a donation.The following blog is a section of a script read to visitors at Shepherd’s Corner Ecology Center. To learn more about the importance of mature forests and trees, visit the Arbor Day Foundation website. If you are inspired to replace trees being uprooted, please consider making a donation.
Shepherd’s Corner is the caregiver of a mature forest on the farthest western section of the land. This forest is almost 80 years old!
With time and care, it has begun to resemble the forests of ancient times, before colonization. Why is this important?
Old-growth forests offer unique habitats that young forests cannot. The big trees block out enough light so that heat-sensitive plants on the forest floor can survive. These floor plants and decaying large trees offer wonderful homes to insects, mammals, and birds.
Old-growth forests are also essential carbon sinks – an ecosystem that captures and stores the carbon that is driving climate change.
Old trees produce more oxygen than young trees do. Take a deep breath in, wherever you are. For one day of production, one mature oak tree can produce nearly half of the oxygen the average person needs in one day.
We say thank you to our tree elders.
To learn more about the ecological ministries of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, visit oppeace.org.
More on Ohio Old-Growth Forests
Thank You, Terri! Keep-up the good job.
Thank you, Terri, for this very informative information (and important reminder of some things some folks may already know). Blessings on you and your co-workers for all you do to help care for God’s gift of creation!
Thank you, Terri! The destruction of trees brings tears to my eyes. I am reminded of a poem by Joyce Kilmer.
Trees by Joyce Kilmer 1886 – 1918
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
This poem is in the public domain.
Thanks so much for your preaching on the essence of trees, Terri! As we live into this season of awe at the mystery and magic of autumn foliage, may it remind us that we can not in conscience allow our government to destroy the sacred forests that make up our national parklands for the sake of extracting more fossil fuels. As Pope Leo reminds us, this would be serious ecological sin!
Thank you Terri. This is a good reminder. Trees are our good neighbors, friends, helpers.
Dear JoAnn,
So grateful for your quoting the poem on Trees by Joyce Kilmer. I felt your grief at the loss of so many trees. They are so invaluable to so many peoples and children who love to play around them. We are so blessed to have so many variety of trees. Our
Sr. Fidelis used to care for our trees at Elkins Park, Pa. I hope today we will hug a tree.
Much joy and peace,
Sr. Brigid, OP