Throughout Chapter 8, Betsy McCully provides an in-depth analysis of not only the ecological significance of trees but also the personal and emotional importance they have for humans. She succinctly remarks, “We see permanence in the hills we get to know…they connect us to the future and to the places where they grow” (113). Although we might not all consciously be aware of it, trees transcend the lives of humans but keep us connected to our surroundings. They offer a sense of harmony, that unites us with nature and provide for a collective identity. Reading the beginning of the chapter instantly made me recall a moment in which I would have empathized with the old man passionately fighting for the Bunker Hill forest. Post Hurricane Sandy one of the main parks in my neighborhood, McArthur Park, had been completely decimated of its trees; with it went a part of my town’s spirit. The park had been so crucial to the day-by-day routine of many Forest Hills residents that once it was gone, it seemed as though something crucial was missing.
The middle portion of Chapter 8 mirrored part of our in-class discussion today about the start contrast in values between the European colonizers and Native Americans. It’s interesting and quite unfortunate to see how the European settlers wholly molded our present-day outlook towards nature, specifically towards trees. The Dutch and English were naturally disposed to exploiting land for economic benefit. Trees were immediately cut to offset fuel shortages, to build ships, and more. This disregard for conservation and preservation quickly followed Europeans to America. After their homeland had been stripped of its woodland, they came to the States eager and greedy, ready to use whatever resources they could find. This is exactly what they ended up doing. On the other hand, the Native Americans were raised with and had internalized a love for trees. They undoubtedly used them to provided food, shelter, and tools amongst other things but they had discovered ways to preserve forests. Due to their sacred relationship with the natural surroundings, they saw the intrinsic value trees held. However, I can not help but wonder why the European settlers felt the need to devastate forests in the name of urbanization whereas Native Americans felt he need to conserve what was around them! Where did the differences in values come from? Also, why had the Europeans not figured out ways to renew their land//the threes?
What was even more interesting was how people back then knew that forest degradation was detrimental to society. Although it may have been a few people that were more knowledgeable, there was still a sense that the mass-killing of trees was immoral. The text states that there were even laws that attempted to curb deforestation, such as the 1543 Act for the Preservation of Woods or the 1711 Act for the Preservation of White and Other Pine Trees. However, these were all futile endeavors because no one truly cared enough to take initiative. (There were/are still trees to cut!) This makes me ponder the sensibility of new laws and policies that would attempt to preserve forests and trees. Would these bills be more successful in the modern-day society?
Lastly I think Betsy McCully ends on an important note. She stresses that we are not losing a few mere trees here and there but a whole ecosystem, one that we are fully dependent on. In the long-term we must have a strong commitment to conserving land and forests, a value that we must instill in ourselves and the generations to come. We must be better connected to our roots, possibly basing our morality more on the environment.
