If you explore a forest, you may see cavernous tunnels beneath the twisted roots of a tree where the nurse log once was. A nurse log is a fallen tree that has decayed and provides a home for seedlings. There is a simple sweetness to think of a tiny seedling being nurtured by the one that came before it. In “The Olympic Rainforest: An Ecological Web,” Ruth Kirk writes, “logs contribute actively to present and future, for deaths here are not endings.” As a nature enthusiast, I have spent more time than most observing and researching trees. I am captivated by the beauty of a big-leaf maple tree adorned in red and orange, or an ancient Douglas-fir draped in mosses–but there’s more to it. I admire the trees for how they function in a forest. There are things they can teach us about how we should treat each other.
In the Rogue River Gorge in Oregon, there is a sign posted next to the stump of a tree that reads “The Living Stump.” It explains that it has been nourished by the neighboring tree through their connecting roots. As long as that process continues, the stump will not die or decay–even though it cannot photosynthesize. In the best-selling novel, “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben, it states, “the trees in a forest take care of each other, sometimes even going so far as to nourish the stump of a felled tree for centuries after it was cut down.” Though live stumps are rare, trees often share nutrients with each other through a network of fungi that connects the roots. Peter Wohlleben also explains, “whoever has an abundance of sugar hands some over, whoever is running short gets help.”
If you can recall from middle school, symbiosis is an ecology term for the interactions between different organisms. One such interaction is mutualism, where both parties benefit. Mycelium, the network of fungi that connects plants, benefits by receiving nutrients from the trees. In return, trees receive “Earth’s natural internet,” as fungus expert Stamets called it in a TED Talk. Through that “natural internet,” trees and other plants can send each other nutrients and messages. Trees even transmit “warning messages” when they’ve been exposed to disease or pests, which raises the defenses of their neighbors. Thanks to this, forests are connected and are stronger.
The Action for Happiness organization had this to say: “Giving…connects us to others, creating stronger communities and helping to build a happier society for everyone. And it’s not all about money–we can also give our time, ideas and energy.” In America, volunteers bring about two hundred billion dollars to the economy just by contributing their time, according to information from the Corporation for National and Community Service. I can tell you from personal experience that helping others is a mutual relationship. It is statistically proven to increase the quality of your life when you are assisting others. I spend hundreds of hours a year volunteering as the vice president and secretary of a nonprofit organization, and it feels good to be a contributing member of society. I’ve made connections with wonderful people, learned new skills, and I have found happiness in finding purpose.
Many people don’t realize that there are many ways to help–even in my small nonprofit, there are countless ways to volunteer. I personally spend most of my time working on our newsletter, making crafts for fundraisers, writing official documents, and reaching out to local businesses. The president of our nonprofit spends most of her time helping homeless people and pets, bringing help directly to them. Other members and volunteers have their own focuses playing off of their own special skills. There is something for every personality type, just as there is a place for every plant and animal in a forest.
When there is an opportunity to do something–whether it be to help wild animals, pets, people, or the environment–do it. It makes psychological and economic sense. There is wisdom in the trees; after all, they are the oldest living creatures on this planet. They have persevered through the centuries by helping each other. How can we actively contribute to the betterment of the present and future? I leave you with Cicero’s philosophical motto: “Non nobis solum,” not for ourselves alone.
