My photos here show how beautiful is our world. I hope to encourage viewers to help save it from our carelessness. Today, I give you a shot of a path through mature oaks and beeches in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.
The world is currently deeply scarred by wildfires on most continents. Elsewhere, trees, usually mature specimens, are cut down for timber, often illegally, or to allow land to be used to produce palm oil or beef or other profitable crops. No thought is given to the consequences of destroying these lungs of the Earth. Mature trees provide enough oxygen for two adults for each year they survive, they filter large numbers of polluting particles from the air, they provide shade in city streets. Mature forests are one of the few sources of good quality topsoil in the modern world, they reduce the likelihood of flooding by absorbing rainwater, they give visitors a natural reduction in stress, and, of course, they absorb large amounts of our most dangerous gas, carbon dioxide, from the air, helping to reduce global warming in the process. It’s time we valued trees as more than a way of making profit for a few, isn’t it?
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Stuart Aken 
Pingback: #ScenicSaturday 5th August 2023 | In the Net! – Pictures and Stories of Life
Agreed, Stuart. Half of Canada is on fire while the other half is under water. The extremes are very concerning. The Okanagan Valley where I live was relatively unscathed until last weekend when a major forest fire 80 km to the south of us crossed the border and began threatening a nearby town. Our politicians talk “green” while we continue to build pipelines (yup – there’s a big one under construction in the north), and activists keep fighting off the big lumber companies trying to get their hands on the ancients left on the coast and Vancouver Island. It’s insane. Here’s a tree piece you might find interesting. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-trees-support-each-other-through-a-network-of-fungi/
Beautiful photo. 🙂
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Thanks, Lynette. I hope you and your home remain safe from the infernos. I do wonder just how many mature trees we’ve lost, billions, I suspect. Certainly the number lost is far greater than the number being replanted, so their carbon capture is seriously reduced. Thanks for the link. I was aware of this theory, which appears to be making ground. It certainly makes sense for plant life to have a communication system. Although they can’t remove themselves from danger, they can protect themselves from some of the pests.
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Thank you, Stuart. There’s now reasonably good control over it on the Canadian side of the border but it’s thought this fire might burn for another couple of months because it’s smouldering and spreading underground. I’m not sure how many trees have been lost either but it’s heartbreakingly high.
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Yes, that underground spread is always almost impossible to counter. And I agree about the heartbreaking numbers lost to this phenomenon, mostly the result of man-made climate change.
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Perfect trail for a summer walk!
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It is, indeed, Noelle. In fact it’s part of a variable route we use often. It passes a quarry at one point, which is sometimes in use, and at the opposite end it leads to the beaver enclosure. But it’s part of several routes we can use and we’ve walked there in all seasons. Summer, however, is when it’s at its best for walking.
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