Nature Notes: Do not go Gentle into that Climate Crisis

Sad to admit, but I was never much into poetry, with a few exceptions. One of these exceptions is “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas. As with growing older, we must “rage, rage against the dying of the light” regarding our changing climate. To simply shrug our shoulders and grab the nearest recliner is not raging against death or climate change.

Buying time for ourselves and our climate requires purposeful actions. Actions that may require immense energy, but rage often does. Little things, big things, and everything in between may end up making a huge difference as we try to buy more time for ourselves and the world around us.

Our environment deserves all the rage that we can muster. We can’t be absolutely certain that putting up solar panels will be enough to prevent additional sea level rise. But it might. We can’t be sure that walking more and driving less will keep polar bears around long enough for them to adapt.  But it might.  

Planting Rage: Fighting Climate Change One Tree at a Time

Planting trees is hard work and expensive but has a tremendous potential to have an impact on the increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But are some tree species more efficient than others? Are all ecosystems conducive to reforestation or afforestation?

The Boreal and Temperate Mesic Forest Climate Survivability Project, led by the Climate Change Coalition of Door County, is attempting to provide clarity on these and additional questions:

              How will our forests change when the climate changes?

              Which trees will “win” …and which will not?

              Will the boreal lower boundary move north?

              What will be the larger environmental impact?

The Door County Experiment

“This project will take advantage of the ecology and environmental research culture in Door County to pilot a study on the survivability of trees over time. Five half-acre test plots are planted on land owned and conserved by The Ridges Sanctuary, each with a respective control group. These sites were chosen to represent different ecosystems found in the Door Peninsula. The study will utilize genetically unique tree varieties including conifers, and deciduous trees. At each planting site, soil conditions, tree survivorship and growth, and flora and fauna ecosystem biodiversity data will be collected.” —Jeff Lutsey, Executive Director, Climate Change Coalition of Door County (CCCDC)

The project will provide answers to make the planting of trees as effective and efficient as possible so that we can be more certain of the overall outcomes. This project is definitely an example of not “going gentle into that good night.” 

Through their sweat and blisters, numerous volunteers are raging against climate change. Volunteers who fully realize that the results of these efforts may not be known before their own “good night.” This project represents a unified effort to gain the necessary knowledge to confidently rage against climate change.

No Guarantees—Only Responsibility

The Boreal and Temperate Mesic Forest Survivability Project represents only one attempt when there are countless things that we can all do now that may slow down this crazy fast change in our climate. None of these efforts come with a guarantee, but collectively a difference can be made.

Doing nothing is oppositional to the moral obligation of trying something. Doing nothing is simply going gentle when our natural world is counting on us to rage.