Trees


2021



2020


Moved from Science to Research Aug 2020 to impact action …

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
– Robert Louis Stevenson

Every tree matters, like every child.   What do you do for your children?
What can you do for our future?
Personal wants vs community needs 

COVID19, we don’t know so we can choose to physically isolate or wear face makes. How do we transmit the value of instilling in our children the behaviors to WANT to do the right thing from a young age? I am a BE Keeper – Sorry if I sting you… You can be a Jane Goodall – Take Action with Roots and Shoots. The Battle for Ordinary Human Existence in Our Time – What Battle do you want to take on peacefully?

Connecting Children with Nature
The History and Future of Sandalwood

Sandalwood Remembering the Roots – my quest to save trees when new houses are built.  I moved here in 1958 when I was 10 years old.  I remembered crossing Buffalo Bayou and having picnics in Camp Hudson, which alas was replaced with houses. My children “grew up” here with their grandparents. I remember the Milz dock and swimming beach, which I wish was not dredged. But thankfully the owners replaced the original dock to preserve history. I returned to take care of my mother in 2004 and continue to live here, as I love the beauty and nature.  But it seems we have two sets of minds.  I would like to see the two communicate and compromise to meet individual needs as well as those of nature. M.E.&T.

I don’t know if it is the responsibility of the architects, the landscape company who cuts the trees down, the irrigation company who does the dredging, the HOA or ACC, or the home owner to doThe Bees Care and need you help! everything they can to protect the trees.  All I know is that education is the solution.  We need environmental science students to also be “R” programmers to research the data. Looking for our Sandalwood researchers? Looking for Bee Keepers.

We have wonderful families and neighbors who volunteer their time with the HOA. I am just trying to create tiny tweaks and share my ideas, like 3 very friendly girls who leave signs encouraging me to “Reach for the Stars” and painted rocks that make me smile when I walk.  The sound of silence in the trees.  I am reflecting on WHY …  remembering my tree video.

Is it a design problem? Cradle to Cradle design is needed, not property line to property line. 2005 Ideas … reducing humanity’s ecological footprint is incredibly vital now!

Update 12/2020: Tree roots clean water.  The streets in our neighborhood drains into the lakes.  We wanted to replace the pump that circulated the water in the cove. The board decided to spend $8000 on a aeration system to deal with leaves that blow into the coves and collect. We received this email shortly before they installed: …the water aeration system that we discussed for the area around the fountain near your cove has been built and will be installed soon. Fortunately this device has low electrical components and will be safe.  We hope that this will help improve the issues in that part of the lake.  If not, we will reassess with the lake management company. The aeration system is quite expensive so fingers crossed. 

I responded to the above email with: “Interesting aerator system that the Lake Management Company put in today. Loved the way they experimented and tried different locations.  Will be interesting to see if this works.  Yes, crossing our fingers too. “  The board did not discuss this aeration system with my husband and I who had done research on another less expensive alternative.  After observing for a couple of weeks, I find the system does not fit with the aesthetic natural environment, but looks like a blubber they use in sanitation systems. And was not working for the purpose intended so they moved to experiment with the best solution.  After watching this special I am concerned that carcinogens that have been on the bottom of the lake for years are now being circulated in the lake. But I have to trust the lake management company to test the water so I can feel safe.

 

THE BIRDS and the BEES CARE – DO you care enough to help a little BIT?

Caring Support:

Resources:

  • If cut down, a forester recommended these as replacement: Quality tree list PP 2018 revision
  • Kinder Institute Research – did you give your time to listen today the 18th of May 2020!  Education critical – (Me – agree) Use money WISEly  – classroom is where funding needs to to – listen to the teachers.  People are key –  Taking time to research Data is essential!!  Attitude changes – Me first vs Us first.  Climate Change – (Me) need to update our Houston Building codes. 

To BEE-have or not to BEE-have, that is the question.

Jane Goodall Master Class post June 2020“Humans-the-environment” made me cry. We must change the mindset. Having been in the classroom observing brains for 25 years, I know the best place to start is with the young. That means we must change the broken education system based on Carnegie Units. I have been a computer science education activist for decades. But when Jane talks about why she became an activist, I knew I need to focus on conversation. I still have the T-shirt that my students made with the motto, “Taking Care of our Brains so We can take Care of the Earth” – http://csstem.blogspot.com/ – On the back of mine it says trees cry too. When Jane talked about the growing materialism focus that connected me with my current problem of cutting down trees to make room for a big house – https://knorth.edublogs.org/science/trees/ – I felt the trees crying so took action. Taking this class was inspired by her NCWIT Change Leader conversation.