Massachusetts - Stockbridge

 

It was assumed that the old growth forests of Massachusetts were erased by the expansion into the far reaches of Massachusetts.  Bob Leverett noticed some small areas that had trees that seemed to fit the look of old growth trees. Others have checked and the trees have turned out to be old growth trees. These trees are key living things in battling climate change.  Proforestation seeks to preserve the champions at carbon accumulation.  Data has shown that the trees of great age accumulate more carbon.  The Blanton Forest in Harlan County, Kentucky was a location where old growth trees went unnoticed.  In more recent times the stock of old growth trees was discovered and estimated.

Seeing

 

 

Harlan County, Kentucky

 

 

 

 

Pico Iyer writes of seeing through the eyes of wonder.  Be aware.  You may be missing beauty that you are not noticing.

On your journey

 

Blanton Forest

 

“As Thoreau famously said, it doesn't matter where or how far you go - the farther commonly the worse - the important thing is how alive you are. Writing of every kind is a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love.”
-Pico Iyer
You can be sleepwalking through your journey or you can be attentive to what you see on your journey. You can see by practicing sensing.

Kentucky is calling

Harlan County, Kentucky

You can begin your Kentucky journey with these fine folks. http://adventureblog.kentuckytourism.com/
These folks give you many ideas about experiencing the beauty of Kentucky.  Can you take it all in?

The image here is from Knobby Rock in Harlan County.

This is the morning of creation.

Let nature speak to you.

Tall trees

This is a tall tree I photographed in the Blanton Forest in Harlan County, Kentucky in April 2014.
The parents that owned this land told the children that their intention was that the trees never be cut down.  Now the Blanton Forest is a state nature preserve.  The state nature preserves staff does a big job with a small staff.  Perhaps a letter or a call to a state legislator would help keep nature preserves in Kentucky protected.


The eastern hemlocks are one of the tall trees in the Blanton Forest.  Will Blanton's eastern hemlocks survive the infestation of the wooly adelgid? These are some of the largest and likely oldest living trees in Kentucky.