The
simplicity of color, shape, and texture I encountered in the birch forest provided
the perfect environment for reflection on my role in communities—our CELL
community, Sólheimar, and our community as inhabitants of Planet Earth.
An
interesting paradox occurred when I looked not at the forest itself, but
upwards and outwards from within the forest: I felt like a more intrinsic part
of the ecosystem. Seeing the golden
yellow leaves and dark grey branches of the trees against a pure blue sky gave
me an immense feeling of inner peace. As
my fingers met seed after seed, I realized that the work we were doing would
allow future generations—of Icelanders and of the entire world—to look out and
up at the intricate lace created by the birches.
The
shape of the seed cones spoke to me of the powerful journey each seed will
experience. Like little ecological space
ships, they will bear a multitude of seeds to settle new lands. Not all will be successful; some seeds won’t
germinate, and some seedlings will be pushed up by the frost, but with our help
the birch forests will thrive. In a way,
the CELL Dozen are our own seed cone: transplanted from our lives in the
States, we have been placed into a complex system of feedbacks with our new
Icelandic landscape. We learn from and
are fed by those who give us shelter—the canteen, our friends in Sesseljuhús, Rosie, our farmhouse
hosts. In return for their nurturing
encouragement, we will sprout new ideas, new energy, and new enthusiasm for
improving our joint environment.
Each
individual seed lends its own unique strength and flexibility to give our harvest
a distinct texture. Each seed holds the
potential to produce a strong, beautiful birch.
Yet the seeds together have a synergistic effect—one seed feels
different than a seed cone, and one birch feels different than an encompassing
birch forest. When individuals, be they
seeds or CELL students, band together, they can produce something much more
environmentally valuable and wholesome than they could on their own.
Tracy Mandel
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