Snowbirding – Climate Change
November 17, 2022
At home the rainforest canopy often allows mere glimpses of the ocean, lakes, or rivers that run alongside the highways. Nor are we always allowed a clear view of the lush green valleys nestled at the bottom of tree-covered mountains.
Vancouver Island is separated from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state only by the narrow passage of Juan de Fuca Strait, so much of what we saw in Washington mirrored the climate and landscape to which we are accustomed. It was not until we reached Modesto, California that we began to notice significant changes to the countryside, due primarily to the change of climate.
Stately Italian Cypresses, reminiscent of Tuscany, thrive under full sun in the dry, Mediterranean-type climate of California. They resemble sentinels guarding estates and gated communities.
Like people, all trees have common characteristics, but they too were created to grow into a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with different types of coverings. Some barks are heavy and fall off in big clumps, while other bark can be peeled off in layers as thin as paper. The leaves of some trees change colors at various times of the year and give the fall season its name. Other trees are evergreen.
Both trees and people are shaped by circumstance. Some trees grow bent by the wind, while others grow according to the whims of those who plant them. Trees overhanging roadways commonly travelled by tall vehicles are trimmed to allow safe passage, something we greatly appreciate. Sometimes our RV Life GPS app leads us astray, into perilous situations and low-lying branches, but Gary has always managed to save us all from harm, so the trees remain unscathed.
The hillsides in California are dotted with just a few trees, some of which are young, but most are mature. While Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island features giant 800-year-old Douglas Fir trees, a pine tree in the White Mountains of eastern California is more than a 4,850 years old! It is appropriately known as Methuselah Tree.
A gnarled tree devoid of leaves and standing alone in a field can be a source of beauty in my eyes. It can also provide excellent habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Trees serve many purposes. Some are made to flower and bear fruit, while others are primarily ornamental. Sometimes trees are used for recreation, to climb, build tree houses, or hang swings. We like to park our motorhome beside trees that provide shade or privacy. Trees are one of the most natural methods to maintain healthy soil and prevent erosion. They also release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, absorbing and radiating heat. Trees serve us well.
Fallen and felled trees are usually re-purposed, to provide a different kind of beauty. They are used to create implements, or pieces of art, as well as for shelter, or to fuel a fire. Sometimes the stumps of fallen trees eventually serve as hosts to new life. Those are my favourite.
Were we able to stop and take a photo of every tree that intrigues me, we would have time for little else.
I am not alone in my admiration of trees. Joyce Kilmer wrote,
Trees
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.