Recently, the writing of Peter Wohlleben, the manager of a forest in the Eifel mountains of Germany, has captured my imagination as well as my photographic impulse. The introduction of his book says of Wohlleben: “He shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware.”
With my f/4 studio colleagues I entered Bells Bend with my eyes riveted on the trees. Along with my images from that day, I share with you some of Wohlleben’s insightful nuggets.
“Trees need to communicate, and electrical impulses are just one of their many means of communication. Trees also use the senses of smell and taste for communication.”
“The most astonishing things about trees is how social they are. The trees in a forest care for each other.”
“The reason trees share food and communicate is that they need one another. It takes a forest to create a microclimate suitable for tree growth and sustenance.
Most individual trees of the same species growing in the same stand are connected to each other through their root systems. It appears that nutrient exchange and helping neighbors in times of need is the rule.”
As I continue to read, my respect- and love- for trees continue to grow. Individually and together they are mysterious giants in our midst, teeming with life hidden from us. Amazing…
Contributed by Sharon Brown Christopher
All images in this blog are ©Sharon Brown Christopher. All rights reserved.
