december-2011

R EFORESTING THE CORDILLERA
Building a forest is a chance not only to plant,
but to walk among the shadows of the forest,
swim in the rivers, and exchange stories as
you share a meal under the trees
new seedling and puts it into the earth.
Creating opportunities to experience
nature is our goal each time we head
out into the mountains. These are
becoming few and far in between, and
this disconnection is something we try to
address — building a forest is a chance
not only to plant but to walk among the
shadows of the forest, swim in the rivers,
and exchange stories as you share your
meal under the shade of the trees.
And fi nally, at the end of the day,
the last hole is dug and the last tree is
planted. The skies open up and rain
starts to fall, and the thousands of new
foundations in the ground turn to the
heavens and grow to the earth. I take
a quick survey of our Forest Builders
as they walk down the mountain path,
hands covered in earth dripping back
down to the soil with the rain, an army
of green engineers out to ensure that the
{ 174 }
Be a green engineer
today: help repopulate
our forests and
prevent droughts
and landslides
future will be greener than it is today.
So against my teacher’s advice in
fi rst grade, I have made planting my
job. Still, every single day I am out
in the mountains digging holes in the
earth I am always left amazed at what
a tree can do with a little soil, water,
and a lifetime of sunshine.
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