04/27/2005: "Guest Editorial"

By Pauli Gavora

Once again, last Friday of April: National Arbor Day. April 29 this time. It always seems to sneak up. The initial relief of springtime –more daylight, more warmth, blooming jonquils. It suddenly gives way to; spading the garden, spraying the orchard trees, killing the weeds?! Planting the bare-root seedling of Arbor Day, is just another one of the "chores" of this time of year. A pleasant chore, but a responsibility none the less. And I have been wondering recently –why trees?

I know the story about Nebraska, and the tree planting by J. Sterling Morton a hundred and thirty some years ago. I also know that we have today more forested acreage in this country –net, than there was back then. And that the status of the tree canopy varies -that you have to pick your epoch to gauge against.

This years Arbor Day tree, is the noble Fir. The species used for Christmas trees. It is a beautiful, majestic plant. And the thousand seedlings to be given away by the San Juan Republican party will be a lovely addition to the local flora. But I am thinking, perhaps next year there should be an Arbor Shrub or Arbor Bush Day. Like everyone else I see the log truck parked on Blair Avenue waiting to line up for the ferry. So I am cognizant of the logging going on.

But much less obvious I think is the clearing that we do not notice unless it occurs along a County road. There is more clearing and "parking out" than we realize. There are less places for the small animals and birds to find refuge. Less places for deer to feel comfortable and safe enough to lie down. A forest of large trees with it's concomitant lack of understory, might be beautiful to look at, but it is a relative "habitat' wasteland. Perhaps it would be best if we expand our concert of "tree". Bring back, assist, or allow to happen, some of the natural, evolving chaos of the forest. Maybe next year we can plant a shrub.