Trees and the Forest: Story and Trustori in Quaker Faith and Practice

Abstract

Trees and the Forest: Story and Trustori in Quaker Faith and Practice Robert Pierson The planting of trees is the planting of ideas. By starting with the simple act of planting a tree, we give hope to ourselves and to future generations.—Wangari Maathai1 Let your lives speak.—Quaker advice Let me tell you a story.Once upon a time, in a land far away, a young woman looked out at her poor village. She saw that the once green hills were now bare and the people scattered. There were only scraps and dung to burn for fire and swirling dust in the heat of the day. But where others saw only barren dirt, this woman saw a forest. She began to plant trees. People told her she was crazy. Some threatened her and told her to go away. Others made fun of her. After all, she was only a woman. But the woman just moved on from hill to hill, slowly planting. Now, these many years later, there is a forest. Where people competed for scraps to burn, now the village gathers wood to cook the evening meal. Now, there is a break from the wind and an end to the swirling dust. Now, the community rests in the shade of leaves, and there are spreading roots to hold the ground. Now, there is a place for rain to seep gently into the earth and replenish the streams. There are birds above and people below, singing and making their home. And the woman moves on from hill to hill. But that’s just a story, isn’t it? Perhaps not a very good one. How about this: Thirty years ago, in Kenya, Wangari Maathai looked out at her country, and where others saw a landscape of poverty, she saw a people of promise. She began planting the vision of trees in the people of the land, and these took root. She gave the people tools and showed them how to plant nurseries where they raised row upon row of seedlings. The vision of trees that she planted grew and spread until it colored green swaths around villages all across rural Africa and sent seedling visions sprouting to the far corners of the world. Her work led to what has become the Green Belt Movement, a complex intertwining of the human, ecological, and political into an organic community that reforested a landscape formerly denuded by its impoverished population. Thirty million trees later, Wangari Maathai received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. “Peace on earth,” notes the Nobel committee “depends on our ability to secure our living environment… Maathai combines science, social commitment, and active politics. More than simply protecting the existing environment, her strategy is to secure and strengthen the very basis for ecologically sustainable development… She represents an example and a source of inspiration for everyone in Africa fighting for sustainable development, democracy, and peace.”2 Over the years, the Green Belt Movement has not only increased tree cover, but also improved life for thousands of rural people, empowering individuals and building community while simultaneously raising awareness of environmental concerns. The basic tree‐planting methodology is deliberately simple: Communities lack basic necessities, like wood for fuel. Therefore, focus on this one visceral “felt” need and disseminate information on the importance of tree planting for the community. Encourage local groups to form and prepare tree nursery sites. Enable these local groups to provide seedlings to the community members and check that they are properly planted. Pay for each successfully planted seedling. The trees provide a sustainable fuel supply. The work provides income. The effort helps organize, empower, and educate the people. This is an indigenous effort that deliberately chooses to rely on the wisdom, knowledge, and resourcefulness of local people, particularly women. What grows are not just trees, but a network of village foresters and activists. It is the greening of both place and people. This, too, of course, is just one version of the story, a story that is never so simple. As with any good story, there are obstacles: a lack of resources, lack of education, ethnic suspicion, people’s tendency to blame others (particularly the government), and...