ELEMEN TREE SCHOOL

I will warn you now. This week is all about forests. Tropical, boreal, temperate, and the like. But we are coming to you from Moab, Utah, which has as much forest as the bottom of the ocean. So, if you sense some juxtaposition between the words and photos in this letter, you are perceptive…go you!

Hot Topic

THE TRAIN TO DE FOREST STATION

There are many ways in which we can value our diverse ecosystems, but as money-centric creatures, we do a pretty poor job at accounting for aspects of nature outside utilitarian purposes. It is a work in progress, and progress is being seen. So, how are we doing at promoting and maintaining biodiversity around the world, and how is that connected to our forests?

Tropical rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystem on earth, so it is easy to immediately look to the largest rainforest, the Amazon. In Brazil, the amount of deforestation has largely been attributed to the politics of the country, with an increase in clear cutting under Jair Bolsonaro’s environmentally eroding administration from 2019-2022 and a decrease under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula), who just got reelected in 2023 and has been making strides to curb deforestation. Other countries such as Ghana and Bolivia are seeing rising levels of deforestation. There was a 10% increase in rainforest loss from 2021 to 2022 despite global recognition of the need to stop deforestation (dive deeper into annual tree cover loss here). 

Forests are highly evolved ecosystems. Deforestation directly diminishes biodiversity (because old forests promote the most speciation on land), and speeds climate change (by weakening earth’s ability to store greenhouse gasses). Humans rely on forests in a similar way as we rely on our immune system. We are better equipped to handle the variety of things life throws at us when we have healthy forests and immune systems. 

There is good news. We are seeing increasing urgency around the world to collaborate to protect our forests. Because forests do not pay attention to socioeconomic and political boundaries, policy and enforcement with widespread collaboration is the only way to protect them. In 2023, with President Lula’s lead, the deforestation in Brazil was cut in half. Pressure from large corporations that use palm oil in their products (such as P&G and Unilever) has helped reduce deforestation for palm oil production over the last ten years by 90% (but we need to stay vigilant because there has been a new increase in Indonesian clearcutting 2022-2023). The EU has passed a pioneering policy, the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), that applies heavy fines and limitations on trade for items produced on recently deforested land and thats implementation will indicate how much the EU values protecting the world’s forests.

The important thing to remember is that forests are big, and each and every day, we reap their benefits. It may seem hard to feel like we as individuals can protect them. But if you elect environmentally-conscious representatives, if you talk with your friends and family, and if you pay attention to how larger organizations are treating our forests, you can inflict change. Our purchases and our votes can play a role in saving some of these resources. A little closer to home, Canada has been fighting to be excluded from deforestation threshold policies proposed by New York and California despite having the 3rd most intact forest loss after Brazil and Russia. This might be a good place to start.

Things You Didn’t Notice

IS IT A RAIN FOREST OR IS IT A JUNGLE

We used to call tropical forests “jungles” when they were perceived as wild and intimidating places, but now we call them “rain forests.” They are trendy and sublime. Do they seem less menacing because we can cut them down at any point? A jungle is fierce, dangerous, and uncertain.

Biodiversity is not always in vogue... We like our neat manicured lawns and we put in work and resources to maintain order or an appearance of order. If something is overgrown, it is ugly. The reality is that things that require constant maintenance are often those that are out of balance.

Diversity and biodiversity have very real benefits both in ecology and in society.

“Diversity in [human] work units can enhance resilience capabilities that underlie three resilience process stages (anticipation, coping, and adaptation).” The same goes for natural ecosystems. Most people don’t think of increasing diversity as a way of anticipating disturbances or change, but that is one big value of having diversity of thought or ecosystem functions. The more different ways you have of performing a task, the more likely you will have one or multiple that can successfully perform in the face of change, whether that is economic depression, the shifting of trends, or climate change. 

What services do we get from our biodiverse ecosystems?

Provisioning: foods we eat, medicines we use to stay healthy, and materials we wear or use to build our homes.

Regulating: cleaning air and water, the less-understood services of climate modification, immune and brain function modulation (from symbiotic bacteria, the human “microbiome”), and modulation of infectious disease.

Cultural: inspiration, education, recreation, aesthetics, traditional knowledge, opportunities for scientific discovery, improvement of cognitive function, and stress relief.

Supporting: primary production (i.e., photosynthesis and chemosynthesis) of new organic matter, cycling of nutrients necessary for life, and pollination.

New York City, one of the biggest concrete jungles I know, used to be a forest and was said to have more “ecological diversity per acre than Yellowstone National Park.” Now, we refer to cities as concrete jungles because they often are the most anthropologically diverse places that people interact with. To an outsider, these places can feel wild and unorganized. Outside the cities lie the “order” of the suburbs with their manicured lawns and cookie-cutter houses. However, a city is a highly functioning complex ecosystem of people with various roles and functions. To those who live in a city, balance can be found.

Can you think of ways cities provide provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services?

Refresh

• Household: In the US, almost every consumer product is connected with corn. But how many of our products are connected with deforestation? Beef is not surprising, but nooo not my chocolate!

• Transportation: Remember that time during the pandemic when no one drove around, left their house, or sometimes even their bed. Everything was so still that nature took notice. This weird period allowed us to glimpse what our real effect on wildlife is. Wildlife got closer to cities because of the noise reduction, poaching increased connected with a lack of other tourism, and songbirds could communicate further distances. It was complicated, to say the least.

• Mentality: Have you ever taken a bath in a forest? Soak in all the smells, sounds, and sights. The Japanese were onto this in 1982, I think it is about time we hop on the wagon. Forest bathing is proven to be good for your head, your heart, and everything else.

• Community: “Look around your neighborhood: do you see a planned monoculture or a diverse, resilient community?” Cities and forests might not be so different after all. AND they both suffer when we try to simplify them.

• Health: Take a whiff. We know you are busy so if you do not have time for full bathing... simply smelling nature can do wonders for your health and reduce stress.

Rivers and Roads

You are wise if you can see the forest through the trees. Where we are right now, there are very few trees. And call me wise because I can see right through them. 

We officially departed Colorado after a lovely stay and will not be back till mid-June. The delight of being in colorful Colorado is strong due to so many lovely, familiar faces living nearby. My hope is that one day, I can throw a big party and have my friends from all walks of life who live in CO meet each other, realize how cool they all are, and become friends themselves. But alas, for now I will just peruse land for sale in Colorado on zillow or landwatch.com and manifest starting a permaculture BnB by telling you about it right now. You can hold me accountable later on.

The past few weeks kicked off the Subaru Winterfest season for us. Jesse and I represented Leave No Trace at various ski resorts and talked trash to thousands of people. We conversed about why it is important to pack trash out and how to poop outside, particularly in alpine areas. We also snuck in multiple videography sessions with a snowboarding artist named Pat Milberry. I slept very well after these events.

Now it is on to Utah. Known for its forests….kidding. The proportion of conserved land in this state places Utah second (after Nevada in 1st) with 68.5% (37.2 million out of 54.3 million acres) protected. I love this state because (outside of rigid religious ideals) it feels wild. But that is no accident. It took lots of legislation, stewardship, and collaboration to set guidelines on the way Utah land can be used. This is simultaneously restrictive and freeing. The result is a continuity and natural evolution of ecosystems.

Just for fun, let's compare Utah to Iowa that ranks 50th with <2% of its land protected. Both states have expansive landscapes that seem to stretch on forever. But even in the dry landscapes of Utah, there is a variety of soils, elevations, flora, and fauna. In Iowa, there is corn (and Caitlin Clark!).

Iowa does produce an exorbitant amount of calories for indirect human consumption (though sugars, animal agriculture feed, and fuels). However, only about 1% of corn grown is the sweet corn that we eat directly. There is not that much diversity. Though there are many ways to measure biodiversity (genetics, species counts, etc.), the qualitative diversity of Iowa is low. In landscapes, there are a variety of shapes, colors, heights, sounds, and behaviors that make places interesting. There are things that are young and old. When any of these characteristics are made ubiquitous (like the ground is level and the plants are the same species and age), it takes away depth and intrigue, making a place that much more boring. So yeah, all that to say, I am excited we are in Utah and not Iowa.

Some people might like monotony or may be comforted by the certainty of what to expect. But not me. I like a mosaic, a collage, a jungle.

Mouthwatering

FORAGED GOODS

It maybe an abnormal impulse, but whenever I take a hike or walk through a forest, I want to eat everything. Just to see. I do a pretty good job of keeping this to myself, but I think we are far too removed from our foraging ancestors. Forget Pokemon GO, there is hidden treasure in our woods that only knowledge can unlock. For thousands of generations this knowledge was discovered through deathly trial and error and we have the privilege of that wisdom being passed down to us. We have books containing what all sorts of various plants are used for. Just thinking about a hike makes me hungry. While on the road I struggle to keep up with all the changing flora, one day I’d love to learn what lies around my home.

For now, I’ll stick to dandelions, stinging nettle, and cliff bars. For you, here are some fun foraging finds and recipes that you might be able to find useful this time of year.

Your mouth might do the opposite of watering when you think of Stinging Nettle. I have had a few encounters with it on the trail, so when I heard you can simply put the leaves in tea, or sauté them and they don’t poke your throat, I was suspicious. But since the plant is invasive and more nutritious than most other leafy vegetables, it is a wonderful plant to learn how to forage for and eat.

Game Time

As you all depart for your own forests this week, consider planting a tree.

Springtime, before trees bud, is one of the best times to plant. And one tree can be the start of a whole ecosystem shift by pulling up water from deep under ground, providing shade so water does not evaporate so quickly, and fertilizing the ground if it sheds leaves in the fall.

Check-in on our forests every now and then as well at The Global Forest Watch’s Blog and Dashboard.