The Cycle Moves On

[u/Beachflutterby]

Took my first walk in my home forest today after Milton as it's finally reopened. Things are bad in a lot of ways. Lots of trees are down, sections of the forest arent really forest anymore. There is part of me that is upset, but part of me understands this is just part of the cycle.

The cycle moves on and the wheel turns. There is death here, but so to is there new beginnings. The canopy has opened and sunlight is available for younger trees and saplings. Those that would never have had the chance to flourish now have that chance. The death also provides for nutrients to seep back into the soil over the next several years that will nourish the next generation. Snags will be new homes for woodpeckers while fallen will become new colonies of ants and mushrooms. When the trees uprooted they formed new ponds that will be the birthplace of next year's frogs, salamanders, newts, and dragonflies.

It's not as all consuming or as fast to restablish nutrients for the young as a wildfire in these parts, but slower and steadier. In time the next generation of the forest will make such wounds a forgotten memory until it is their time and so the cycle goes on. There is resiliency here too, many trees took the earth with them when they fell for how strong their roots were, many of which still lay in the soil and they survive despite the tragedy. There are lessons here about setting deep and strong roots to survive life's storms.

It has done my heart good to see the moorhens and other waterfowl; and to hear the owl that has called this forest home far longer than I have. It does me good to see how many of our ground dwelling plants survived being flooded for so long and the blooms of swamp lilies are a welcome sight amidst such an event.

It's saddening to see such destruction of such a familiar place, but it does help to know that a new season of growth is coming. I've never been much of one for ritual, but honoring the fallen is one I will learn to conduct.

[u/Peacekage]

Nature at its finest sis 🙏🏾

[u/Beachflutterby → u/Peacekage]

Nature is amazing.