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Fall at The Forest

November 5, 2024
sound bowl at The Forest for Fall Equinox Celebration

The Rhythm of Fall

Blessings to you during this fall season. Thank you to those of you who joined the tour and autumn equinox celebration. We enjoyed a lovely gathering with each person sharing their relationship to and intentions for the fall season. Several guests mentioned slowing down, following a natural rhythm, and comfort food. Our community gathering included lovely poetry. Here’s one for you from Wendell Berry’s Sabbaths 2001:

VII
The wind of the fall is here.
It is everywhere. It moves
every leaf of every
tree. It is the only motion
of the river. Green leaves
grow weary of their color.
Now evening too is in the air.
The bright hawks of the day
subside. The owls waken.
Small creatures die because
larger creatures are hungry.
How superior to this
human confusion of greed
and creed, blood and fire.

VIII
The question before me, now that I
am old, is not how to be dead,
which I know from enough practice,
but how to be alive, as these worn
hills still tell, and some paintings
of Paul Cezanne, and this mere
singing wren, who thinks he’s alive
forever, this instant, and may be.

Fall is a lovely time of year to visit. The burial ground is open from dawn to dusk every day. Enjoy a self-guided visit to Willow-Witt Ranch any day of the week between 11am and 5pm. Remember to follow directions on the website and contributions to The Crest are always welcome from visitors.

Please join us for the next seasonal shift. Honoring the earth and welcoming our community is important to us. Mark your calendars for the Winter Solstice Celebration on Sunday, December 15, 2024. We will offer a guided tour at noon. The celebration begins at 1:15pm. BYO warm drinks to enjoy by the fire.

With care,
Mary Ann Perry, Sexton

leaves

Species Spotlight

Douglas fir trees

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

The species spotlight this fall is the Douglas fir. The seeds of this beautiful evergreen tree provide nourishment to wildlife, while humans have enjoyed their prowess in the landscape and made use of the Douglas fir’s strong timber. The thick, corky bark of the Douglas fir is moderately fire-resistant. Indigenous legend in the Pacific Northwest tells of a forest fire from which animals were seeking refuge. The mice, who couldn’t outrun the fire, were invited by the Douglas fir to climb its thick bark and seek refuge in the fir cones. If you take a close look at the cones of a Douglas fir, you can see the shape of the mice’s hind legs and tail sticking out underneath the scales.

Douglas fir cones closeup

Our neighbors in the Rogue Valley may have noticed increased mortality among the Douglas fir trees in the area. According to the Oregon State University Extension Service, the mortality of Douglas fir in southwestern Oregon has been associated with the flathead fir borer (PDF), as well as drought conditions. This complex issue is visible in the orange-colored firs seen while driving from The Forest down into the valley, and it will affect the biology of our landscape.

We deeply appreciate our Douglas firs here at The Forest and do our best to maintain their health and vitality, while acknowledging that death is a part of life. We must learn to adapt and support our natural landscape as we face new and difficult challenges together.

Photos by Joel Blit and John Hagstrom

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More News & Events!

Mia Tarduno, administrator

Welcome Mia!

Mia Tarduno joined our team to support administration and marketing for the ranch and The Forest. Mia brings a unique blend of environmental insight, entrepreneurial spirit, and holistic care to our team. With a BA in Environmental Studies and Anthropology, Mia has a deep appreciation for both the natural world and human cultures. Her journey began managing and owning several guest service businesses in the picturesque mountains of Colorado, where she honed her skills in administration and marketing.

In addition to her business acumen, Mia is a dedicated yoga instructor and a compassionate birth doula based in Ashland. Her work at the ranch and The Forest is a perfect convergence of her diverse experiences, allowing her to explore and integrate the profound connections between life and death.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Mia embraces an active and creative lifestyle. On weekends, you can find her hiking with her Australian Shepherd, trail running in the watershed, or painting by the river.

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Community Education Opportunities

We are looking forward to offering community education classes this coming winter and spring through OLLI SOU, OLLI Humboldt, OLLI Chico and the City of Ashland Parks & Recreation. If you have a group or organization who would like to host us for a talk on conservation burial, please contact us.

Contact Us

PHONE

541.625.9697

EMAIL

info@theforestconservationburial.org

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Green Burial Council certified member
The Forest Conservation Burial Ground is certified by the Green Burial Council