It’s #BookQW and Cor ‘even’ has long-term plans for trees.
More from Chapter 13:
“During your talk at the conference, you said the Scots pines provide over half of the energy for the isle. What happens if one falls?”
Lady Pina’s eyes narrowed. “We spend considerable energy ensuring that none do,” she snapped, clearly affronted.
Cor raised his hands. “I don’t mean to be rude, but is that possible?”
Lady Mimosa put a hand on Lady Pina’s arm. “It has prevented a number from toppling. To answer your question, if one falls, its energy will be redirected into others.”
Lady Pina sniffed. “None have fallen since I was a child. When a clearing like that forms, we move others to fill the gap as soon as possible, protecting against red deer browsing on the young trees. That seventy-year-old gap is practically unnoticeable.”
“Are you raising new trees to replace the ones that will eventually—” At the lady’s rising brows, he quickly amended, “Are you raising new trees anywhere?”
She waved him to follow, and they flew to an edge of the grove he hadn’t yet seen. Ten rows of pines in clay pots stairstepped back, from the youngest sprouts at the outer edge to eight-foot saplings nearest the grove.
“Nice,” he said. “Looks like some of these are ready to be planted. Have you tried to expand any of the groves?”
“There is no room for expansion without affecting other habitats.” She gave him a thin smile. “Every available slot for a tree is filled.”
Just like every available apprenticeship slot, apparently. He nodded. “Thank you for showing me around.”
~~~
Guardian of the Pines is a book of my heart. Cor loves trees and will do anything to save the ancient pines, even risk his greatest secret…and his heart. Climb trees with him: download his story from my Payhip Store or everywhere ebooks are sold.
~~~
On a personal note: I’ve been doing the opposite of Cor and it’s a hard reality for my heart.
I’ve spent the summer addressing wildfire mitigation on our family property in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. We’ve raked pine needles, picked up sticks and removed six (six!!) firewood piles from prior mitigations. We’ve thinned dead limbs from bushes and completely removed many bushes too close to structures. Every week we hauled our ‘excess fuel wood’ to a county-sponsored sort yard for chipping.
Several folks in the community happily took our extra firewood rounds.
We’ve filled our one allowable firewood shed, and I bought native wildflower seed to revegetate the spots the prior stacks covered.
But the worst is coming: tree removal. After last week’s final walk-through for the marked trees (some indicated by blue ribbons in photo above), my husband and I were exhausted–and it wasn’t even an hour. We realized the exhaustion was emotional–a mourning for the trees we love.
And it’s not just us, it’s generational. My dad built this cabin. He and his sister have asked after specific trees. Our kids have been concerned the change will be bad. It hurts to tell them those trees have to go. Many are close to our cabin because firefighters want to create a gap in the tree canopy to stop fire from traveling through the treetops, and to allow firefighters to safely fight a fire.
The irony of this has hit hard. Back on the east coast, we join others to plant trees and native shrubs, trying to stave off climate crisis and the collapse of insects. But in the west, it’s a different mindset. Fire has been suppressed for 150 years in this area. When–not if–a fire comes, it will be hot and devastating. Our property is at the edge of a mountain town–the town described as where Fern lives in the Windborne books*. A regional plan has been developed to thin the surrounding forest to protect the town and the creek that runs through it. This watershed supplies a huge area across the plains with drinking and irrigation water, and we are in what’s called ‘the catcher’s mitt’ – the place firefighters want to stop the fire.
So while we remove ‘fuel wood’ on our small scale, a large-scale effort is afoot. As work proceeds, I’ll touch base here again.
In the meantime, if you’ve considered planting a tree and have a good spot, please think of us in the dry west and do it. Thanks.
*The books featuring Fern’s mountain town are: The Witch of the Meadows, Guardian of the Pines and Solstice Gifts.
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