In winter 2008/2009 the destruction of the 100+ year old forest started at the 'Chlii Gäsitschachen' at the foot of the Kerenzerberg in the Canton of Glarus as well as 3/4 of the 'Dreieckwäldli' ['triangle forest'] in the community of Bilten in the Canton of Glarus started.
The old trees on an area of 6+ ha were destroyed and replaced by water - the canal Linth that was supposed to become a place of 're-naturation' - where wildlife could thrive - instead it became a place of utter destruction. Trees were replaced by stone and at times no water flow in the new river beds.
At present in 2023 - that is 15 years after the destruction - the remaining trees still suffer from the shock they witnessed by losing their tree-friends - part of their family.
This shock in trees can be recognised by looking at the trees, observing them over the years and seeing that they grow only a little.
This is also due to the too high water levels that are caused in this area, because the walls of the canal - the very walls that would contain the water, keep it in its canal - were destroyed.
This caused that the area next to the canal was soaking up more water than the past 100+ years and trees have difficulty to manage the excess water - and the healthy forest soil is turning into swamp and causes rot and decay of the trees.
Furthermore under 'forest article 5' there was more than 1'000'000 m2 'temporarily clear' cut in the canton Glarus within the past 20 years.
This means the capacity to produce oxygen for life [also our human lungs] as well as providing cooling and water for our climante was massively reduced.
This mis-management / or ignorance means that over a time-span of roughly 20-30 years at these sites no trees are growing, because these sites are used for i.e. mining, building etc.
Due to heavy logging the majority of trees is roughly 40+ years young and our forests are not enough densly forested.
This causes draught and erosion / land slides.
The integrity of our forest is hapered.
On the picture above left you can read that oak trees can become 500+ years.
Did you know that one oak tree can provide a habitat for roughly 1000 species of life?
Imagine, Giant Sequoias can even reach an age of 3000+ years.
If - humans don't interfere and stay away.
Over the past years we did some thorough research, grew our own trees in the limited space we grew roughly 200 trees from seeds:
Giant Sequoias, Oaks, Birch Trees, Linden Trees, Beech Trees.
In addition to that we added 6 wild bee homes from [wildbienen + partner] which our apple, pear and wild cherry trees
as well as the variety of flowers can benefit.
By doing this we hope to help mend what has been destroyed and give back trees, strubs and habitats for wildlife
- in short 'giving back to life' - giving back to nature what has been taken from her - the very nature that is our very - and only foundation.
The foundation of our and all life-forms on earth.
Would you like to support this life-enabling cause, then please donate to:
Postfinance: 80-871147-3, Manuela van der Glas [The Mother Tree Nursery].
We will then allocate your donation to keeping up the Nursery as well as generating workplaces.
When was the last time
you noticed, listened to and heard
the whispers of the wind?
The Mother Tree Project [https://mothertreeproject.org]
was founded by Dr. Suzanne Simard in British Columbia / Canada.
She discovered that every forest has its 'mother trees', i.e. old/wise trees that nourish the trees that grow around the mother tree. [watch her on uTube: https://youtu.be/c48UUsJhAng ]
Dr. Suzanne Simard is a Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the leader of The Mother Tree Project. Her research focuses on the complexity and interconnectedness of nature and is guided by her deep connection to the land and her time spent amongst the trees.
Jean Roach is a Professional Forester and the manager of the Mother Tree Project. She has over forty years experience as a forestry research consultant and was hired by the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2016 to establish the Mother Tree Project sites.