PANDO!

   Aspen photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash                                                                                            

Well over 100 years ago, John Muir, American Naturalist and ‘Father of the National Parks’ knew something fantastical was happening in a forest. He held a “deeply religious response to trees as living, sentient beings” and endowed them with a “kind of personhood.”  Current research suggests that Mr. Muir was right! 

Kelley Rawlsky, horticulturist and Director of Bringing People and Plants Together wrote an article for the Enterprise entitled, ‘Trees Communicate, Nourish Each Other’.  She writes, ‘Chitter chatter in the forest.  Are trees talking to each other? Yes, in a sense. Some research has shown that trees have a unique way of expressing themselves to one another.  About twenty years ago, an ecologist named Suzanne Simard discovered that trees communicate their needs and send each other nutrients via a network of latticed fungi buried in the soil.’ Kelley went on to say, ‘I have always thought we underestimate plant intelligence.  The next time you take a walk in the woods, consider pausing for a moment to reflect on the fact that plants are communicating with each other.  Give a tree a hug and a pat on the bark!’

Aspen trees take it a step further!  A stand of Aspen trees, even up to 100 acres is considered a singular organism with its main life force in its underground root system.  This is because all the roots are interconnected!  The first tree clones itself by sending out shoots in all directions.  These trees in turn send out more shoots and more ‘clones’ begin to grow.  It is just one big happy family!  

Scientists found one aspen clonal colony in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest that they estimate is 80,000 years old.  They named it Pando, meaning ‘I spread’.  Think about it! This aspen clonal colony originated from a single seed and by sending up new shoots, has spread over 106 acres and consists of over 40,000 individual trees and all 40,000 trees share the same DNA!  

Pando is considered by scientist to be the largest, most dense living organism ever found! 

What can we learn from an Aspen clonal colony?  Can we learn about family, community and the church, the body of Christ?  YES!

Want to live 80,000 years?  Live in community!  

There is an organization called, ‘Where You Live Matters.  They published an article called, Community Living:  It’s Healthier.  In the article they state that ‘Staying socially connected and feeling engaged with life becomes more important as we grow older, and not just for mental health reasons. Isolation is a serious health risk for older adults. We now know that people who don’t or can’t maintain connections with friends, family and neighborhood will experience greater numbers of chronic and life-limiting health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The benefits of belonging to a community and spending leisure time productively are too important to ignore.’

Scientists have shown that even trees care about each other!!!   Shouldn’t we care for each other within our own community, family or the church, the body of Christ?  YES!

The bible is full of healthy wisdom regarding community whether you are a Christian or not!
Love your neighbor as yourself!
Love not with words or speech, but with actions and truth.
Value others above yourself.
Look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others!
Provide for your relatives.
Do good to all people.
Encourage one another and build each other up.
Carry each other’s burdens.
Share with those in need.
Please your neighbors for their good to build them up.
Don’t forget to do good and to share with others, this pleases God!

Community pleases God!  Why, because it is good for us.  After all, weren’t God and Adam together in the beginning when He said, ‘It is not good for a man to be alone?’

God knows what is best for us and He gave us an incredible example of how to ‘LIVE LONG AND PROSPER’ in the Pando Aspen clonal colony.  

The trees get it right!  80,000 years is proof enough.

OH THAT WE COULD DO AS WELL!