Unnatural

Some, perhaps many and maybe even most, of the wounds I see on tree trunks have natural - or at least benign - causes. Or so it seems to me, without conducting a rigorous survey. But there is a large minority of wounds that are human-inflicted. I don’t mean limbs pruned for esthetic or health reasons, or to accommodate power lines. No, in particular I’m thinking about initials carved into the bark of trees.

In the general scheme of human outrages against the natural world, this may rank relatively low. And yet it is emblematic of the disconnect between humans and nature. It speaks to a misplaced sense of ownership or even entitlement. It’s not a good look.

That said, I can’t be sure that I’m looking at a carved “W” in this birch bark. I rather hope not, although I’m at a loss to explain the wound otherwise. The overall mark has interesting contours, irrespective of whether it was intentional. And yet to the extent that it reflects some adolescent territory-marking, I do wish the tree well in healing this unnecessary blemish.