A Christmas ‘Treeat’

Our beloved pine and spruce trees, proudly gracing a windswept hill, met their match in the relentless fury of the 2020 derecho. The storm wiped away a legacy my wife, Mary, and I had carefully nurtured for decades.

As a Christmas “Treeat” to us, our three long-time employees collaborated with a dear friend this month who had assisted in planting these trees during the construction of our home 35 years ago. Together, they transplanted three majestic Christmas trees, each towering over 20 feet, within our view from the house.

After they went home with their mission accomplished, Mary and I ventured onto our landscape to inspect these resilient trees up close. Hailing from a distant corner of our property, these survivors of the derecho stood robust and vibrant, their branches reaching skyward — a silent testament to the strength of nature. It may sound fanciful, but it was as if their pine boughs arched upward in our presence, forming a colossal smile.

Mary and I perceive trees not merely as flora but as life-givers and guardians of our existence. The tree journey commenced 420 million years ago, populating the Earth, with humans arriving more than 319 million years later as mere newcomers to Earth's stage! Trees, the primary providers of oxygen, stand as silent caretakers of life. Without them, the animal kingdom would be but a faded dream.

Businesses and organizations have partnered with Monarch Research, a nonprofit organization that seeks to add native pollinator habitat and reestablish the monarch population in Linn County and the surrounding area. Our partners are our unsung heroes! In collaboration with their employees and members, they have transplanted 75,000 native trees over the last three years. This is a Christmas “Treeat” from which the entire community benefits! Exceeding 100,000 trees is our next milestone, and it is within easy reach.

The small team at Monarch Research has crafted a five-year plan to sustain our efforts. We need to encourage more employers to participate and additional landowners to plant more trees. Our ultimate mission is to catalyze the restoration of what has been lost in the storm and much more.

Please visit our website at monarchresearch.com to discover various ways to get involved. As Franklin D. Roosevelt eloquently expressed in human terms over 80 years ago, “Our forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

Within the Monarch Research Vision, we find the promise of a greener tomorrow and the very breath of life that sustains us all.

Clark McLeod is co-founder of Monarch Research.