We need to get our hands into the soil

“With the forests falling faster than the minutes of our lives we are saying thank you.” – W.S. Merwin

Too many of the world’s forests are coming down, and the Earth is heating up. The great old growth giants who sequester carbon and act as the lungs of the Earth are falling faster than the minutes of our lives. As carbon dioxide grows in our atmosphere, we find ourselves in deeper trouble. Canada uses more than its fair share of the global carbon budget, according to the David Suzuki Foundation, and we are disproportionately responsible for the climate crisis. It is alarming to see how political and economic chaos in North America is eroding any commitment we had to mitigating the crisis.

Our leaders are not going to fix this for us. We need to get our hands into the soil and do the work that God calls us to do. Our primal vocation given to us in our sacred story is to cultivate and care for creation so that all life can flourish. The renowned botanist and tree-planting advocate Diana Beresford-Kroeger says, “without the global forest there is no hope for humanity’s future on Earth. We must reclaim the interconnection between trees and humanity. If we strengthen those connections by planting trees, interacting with our forests and protecting natural spaces, we can pause climate change long enough to have a fighting chance to mend our destructive ways.” And she has a plan: every single person needs to plant at least one tree a year.

Planting trees – along with protecting existing natural spaces – is the goal of the Communion Forest movement. In a letter to the diocese, Bishop Andrew and Mary Asbil write, “The call from the Anglican Communion to participate in the global Communion Forest … builds on the foundation of the ministry of creation care already established through the Communion and our fifth mark of mission: to safeguard the integrity of creation and renew life on Earth.” Joining this movement is the focus of the Season of Creation in our diocese this year.

“It’s not just about planting,” say the Asbils, “it is about turning to our knowledge keepers, scientists and theologians to understand how to be better caretakers of our planet.”

One of those knowledgeable people is Guinevere Kern, who is a registered horticultural therapist, educator and advocate for integrating horticulture principles and practices that support health initiatives. In a recent interview, Ms. Kern said that despite increasing public awareness of the importance of planting trees in urban environments, many trees planted with the best intentions do not survive beyond a few years, often due to preventable factors.

Planting trees begins with knowing the space and then choosing the right species, or “the right plant for the right place,” she says. “What is the growth habit of this tree? Is it conducive to the space over a short, medium or long term? What urban stress factors are part of this location? What care might this tree need to support long term health?”

She is passionate about increasing nature literacy – encouraging people to get close to nature, to know the ecosystem where they live, as well as native species and how they interact in the spaces where we live, work and worship.

Knowing and connecting to nature can increase our commitment to care for and rebuild healthy natural spaces. This connectedness not only heals the Earth; it heals us. “The data is clear: there are tangible health benefits to engaging with plant material in biophilic environments,” she says. “Having our hands in the soil and engaging with plant life reduces stress, enhances our mood and renews a sense of purpose. It also exposes us to the intricate and marvelous web of life and the threads of interconnectedness that bind life together.”

Being a part of the Communion Forest movement is a way for us as Church to express our commitment to justice and community. For example, an urban church where there is little canopy to mitigate summer heat might nurture a grove of trees to provide shade and a resting space for neighbours.

“Planting trees can go beyond an altruistic, one-time deed; it can play an ongoing role in supporting multispecies health and communal wellbeing,” says Ms. Kern. “Through proper tree planting preparation and planting techniques, native species selection, long term site-specific maintenance considerations and habitat restoration, we are invited to come into greater knowing and care for local dynamic ecosystems that uphold an abundance of life. Learning about the places and spaces where tree plantings occur can open pathways to reciprocal relationship and ethical land stewardship. To me, it’s an invitation to better participate in our obligations to creation and one another as Treaty people.”

When we look at this work through the lens of community involvement, what we are really doing is co-creating space with the Creator and all creatures in creation. We’re learning to think differently about the spaces God has given to us to care for and to cultivate.

Joining the Communion Forest movement can help us embody our faith as we learn to care for and cultivate the forest of trees that will be for the healing of the nations. As the book of Proverbs says, “Wisdom is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.” (3:18 NIV)

To learn more about Guinevere Kern’s work, visit www.guineverekern.com.