The Call of the Forest

Call of the Forest - Official Trailer from Treespeak Films on Vimeo.

Ancient beings,
infinitely nurturing and wise,
their presence
gives us
the very air we breathe.

In the cool depths of the forest,
we feel a sacredness,
a communion,
connection with
an age-old mystery.

If we stay silent,
we may hear them
speak.

How is it
we cut them down,
giver of the air we breathe?
Instead,
we should be praying to them,
protecting them.

How is it
we are the only species
to desecrate and destroy
our own habitat?

"Plant trees,"
the wise one said.
"If everyone planted a tree,
we could reverse
global warming."

Last night I watched Call of the Forest : The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees. It was beautiful, and amazing. The "she" I refer to is Diana Beresford-Kroeger, who narrated the film. She is a lovely forest sprite.

This community I live in is very forest-aware, its people having taken a stand against the logging companies to protect and preserve its old growth. It is stunning how little original forest remains on the planet, incomprehensible how destructive we are. Ms. Beresford-Kroeger speaks of the Druids, who knew the language of the trees, understood the fates of humans, trees and water are directly linked. The film's call to plant trees, with examples of even urban centres doing so, left me feeling hopeful.