Caring about trees

I read this devastating article on Reuters this morning that claims that up to half a billion trees in Texas may have died due to the horrific drought conditions the state is experiencing. The article claims that's approximately one tenth of all the trees in the state.

On an eco-spiritual level, I have always been a lover of trees. I feel their grace and rootedness; I sense a kind of "I've-seen-it-all" wisdom and even an air of benevolent service, as though they know they are holding our earth together and creating the oxygen we need to breathe. When I think of a loss on this kind of level, what comes up for me is a question: "Why are trees leaving Texas?" and a follow-up, "What can we do about it?"

Our country experiences floods and droughts all the time, cyclical and sometimes seemingly nonsensical, as various parts of the US deal with climate crises of varying proportions. It's just part of what happens with weather, people, and land. (And, many would say, events like these are increasing as a result of climate change.) But when so many living beings leave at once, I wonder what else in the environment--beyond the current drought--makes it likely for that outcome to arise.

If you're a praying or meditating person, I invite you to join me in sending love and strength and compassion to the trees in Texas. And while you're thinking about it, maybe send a quick "thank you" to the trees in your own area, too. They don't get a lot of thanks in our world, but we'd miss them if they were gone. In fact, our physical lives depend on them.