
JOYFUL GRATITUDE #205
One morning last week, I was disturbed by the sound of a chainsaw coming from one of the gardens that my balcony overlooks. I went to check what was going on and to my horror, found that a tall conifer was being sawn into pieces. The combination of the sound of the chainsaw as well as the thud of branches and logs crashing to the ground below made me very anxious and sad. In about 20 minutes it was over. Silence returned and all that remained of the tree was some scattered sawdust.
But this is not a sad tale about neighbours preferring a little more sunlight over a living tree. Coincidentally a few days later, I went to help at my local CSA where over the course of two days volunteers would help plant over 1000 trees that will grow into a thick hedge around the crops to protect them from the wind. It felt like a chance to set things right.

It’s impressive what a small group of people can achieve with team work, motivation and the right guidance. It was a cold Sunday morning, barely a few degrees above zero, but I had piled on lots of warm layers and working with our spade warmed us up immediately. We made precise trenches, digging out the compact clay. Then placed the trees twenty centimetres apart. We broke the clay soil into smaller chunks and after mixing it with rich compost distributed it around the roots. Finally we watered the trees and added a layer of mulch (steaming autumn leaves salvaged from a nearby golf-course) around their base.
There was a wonderful atmosphere, chatting about all sorts of things as we worked, and the sun even came out over the beds at the end of the afternoon. The trees may look a little underwhelming right now, but I am really grateful to have participated and cannot wait to see how the trees wake up in spring, growing together to protect the crops and create more bio-diversity.
We rounded the day off with some delicious glühwein whilst warming our cold fingers by the fire. Cycling on the way home, I was rewarded with a beautiful moody sky over the water.

*****
Planting trees is a very effective way to combat climate change and it’s easy to contribute even if you don’t have a garden. Search for initiatives in your area to participate in person or donate to. If you are in Amsterdam, for example you can consider supporting this local food forest which is crowdfunding at the moment. Another easy thing to do is using Ecosia as your default search engine, so each time you satisfy your curiosity you’ll also contribute to planting trees. Feel free to add other initiatives you know of in the comments too!

Tree planting is hard work but so rewarding, well done you and the other volunteers! May those trees thrive. Interesting about that search engine, I hadn’t heard of it before.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi! Thank you for your kind comment:-) Yes, Ecosia search engine is great. I like how transparent their communication is and it’s great to see how much they have achieved! Wishing you a lovely weekend:-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
you look happy indeed! thanks for sharing 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for dropping by ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds like a great day outdoors, being with people, and improving the world around you. We have an organization here that works on a local level to preserve land. When land is threatened with development, they raise money, buy it, and preserve it. Of course, it’s not as simple as that but that’s the basic idea. I have worked with them to clear out invasive plants from some of the places they care for. It’s rewarding to be involved in a localized effort that has bigger ramifications. I haven’t heard of Ecosia – maybe I will try it. Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, thanks for your comment. The organization you mention sounds great! It’s so wonderful that they preserve the land rather than let it be taken over by some development. Lovely also that you could help them with clearing out invasive species, that sounds like a very satisfying task. All these actions add up!<3 I hope you enjoy trying Ecosia, for me it works really well (and since I like data, I enjoy seeing in the top right corner the number of searches I've performed and how many more are needed for a tree to be planted;-))
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Silver lining of lockdown | Cultivating joy