Surviving Oak Savannah
Map
Map
Story & Experience
12 members of the Earth Listening Circles of the Deep Adaptation Forum visited places local to them and did an Earth Exchange, as part of a global collaboration to listen to wounded places.
I went to a surviving oak savannah outside of Silverton, Oregon, that has some of the oldest white oaks left in Oregon (100+ years old). At one time these oak savannah covered Oregon’s Willamette Valley, but most were cut down to clear land for agriculture and building. Since I was last there, a severe ice storm had struck the area, resulting in many broken branches and toppled trees, which caused a lot of grief. But then, I also noticed one tree that had been broken off about 40’ up from the ground—no limbs were remaining. But I noticed small leaves beginning to spout along the remaining trunk and broken limbs of the tree. I was reminded of the changing, as well as the resilience, of nature.
12 members of the Earth Listening Circles of the Deep Adaptation Forum visited places local to them and did an Earth Exchange, as part of a global collaboration to listen to wounded places.
I went to a surviving oak savannah outside of Silverton, Oregon, that has some of the oldest white oaks left in Oregon (100+ years old). At one time these oak savannah covered Oregon’s Willamette Valley, but most were cut down to clear land for agriculture and building. Since I was last there, a severe ice storm had struck the area, resulting in many broken branches and toppled trees, which caused a lot of grief. But then, I also noticed one tree that had been broken off about 40’ up from the ground—no limbs were remaining. But I noticed small leaves beginning to spout along the remaining trunk and broken limbs of the tree. I was reminded of the changing, as well as the resilience, of nature.
Why this Place?
Silverton, Oregon
It’s a place I have loved that was damaged by a severe ice storm.
Act of Beauty
I made a RadJoy bird from materials I found there.
Additional Photos
[isc_list]
RECENT STORIES
Joy & Grief As Sisters
On June 20th, our wild church group gathered with another faith community at Harrison Bay near Chattanooga, TN (USA) to observe the Summer Solstice and participate in the Global Earth Exchange. It was a truly[...]
Forest Threatened by Railroad Expansion
A new train line proposed to speed travel time from Helsinki to Turku would have a major impact on the city of Espoo, a few miles west of Helsinki across the bay. The development, estimated[...]
Final Resting Place
On our way to the walk, my partner and I shared what we know of the history of logging and tourism-related forest clearing in the area, as well as sharing some of our knowledge of[...]