6/17/11—Soltis Center—88F
A late night meant no morning birding. Shortly after breakfast, the plant stand atmosphere interactions group took their solar panel array components up to the clearing bordering on secondary forest. The bugs were tenacious, ripping at any piece of exposed flesh with terrifying vigor. Everywhere we stood, we were followed by a cloud of black flies and mosquitoes that circled our heads and paid no attention to our flailing attempts to drive them away. The sun also beat down upon us incessantly, as we worked in the oppressive sweltering heat. No clouds offered any respite. The tall, dry grass reflected the heat back up at us. Our arms felt as if they were made of lead, making screwing in the wires difficult. Whenever we sat down to get better access to the panels, we were attacked by a legion of ants, which bit us mercilessly with their large, jagged mandibles. Every so often, a light breeze would cool our sweat-drenched bodies, but the relief was only temporary. The work was difficult, but after four hours, we had constructed and wired the array. I can spend all day in the forest, with all of its variety and interesting features, but working in the field was an awful experience I hope to never repeat.
Meanwhile, the climate group arranged and deployed two of our weather stations in what they hoped would be their final location at the downburst site. They also took a station back to the center since it was located in a place that was useless for their purposes. Samantha also spotted another snake today but it went away too quickly for the rest of us to see it. Sarah hiked with the survey team to identify the trees she wanted to core.
After lunch, we made our way into the forest again to install the data logger box. This would record the sap flow data for the trees we planned to wire. After installing the main pole covering it with a tarp to prevent our batteries and electronic equipment from being drenched, and digging out a landing for the batteries and work station out of the steep, slippery slope which was quickly becoming a mud slide, we returned, tired and ready to call it a night. However, the day was still not over. After dinner, we measured the wires for our sap flow sensors and began to strip the ends, a slow and tedious process. This allowed us to meditate upon our experiences thus far.
Measuring wires in the Soltis Center.
I finally realized one of the reasons why I love the forest. We all live our own very separate lives, each person believing that they are the center of their own universe. We all believe our roles to be very important in the comedies, dramas, and tragedies of life. We work and play, eat and drink, live and die, always scurrying from place to place and complicating our lives with unnecessary concerns. Many of us are sleepers. We sleepwalk through life, never pausing to actually experience it in all of its richness and wonder. Our lives are complicated by unnecessary distractions. Here, in the forest, however, we are freed from this. We do not need to worry about what our lunch will be, what email messages are unread, what people will think of our outfit, or whether we can pay the bills on time. Here, in the forest, we realize that our roles in the plays of life are miniscule. The world will continue to turn without our presence. For some, this is a frightening idea. And yet, for me, I accept this truth with a feeling of relief. Here in the forest we are part of something greater, and realize that life is fleeting. By shielding ourselves from this fact, we make it impossible for ourselves to remove the visor of society and correctly view reality. Like the people of Plato’s cave, we only view shadows upon the cave wall. In the forest, we are freed from our shackles of materialism, prejudice, and other distractions and can see the light in life and the world around us. If we listen to the forest, there are lessons for all of us. The whisper of the wind, the song of the bird, the rustle of the leaves: all these sounds are the voices of the forest, reminding us to appreciate the splendor of our surroundings and realize our dependence on them. Nature can soothe, perhaps cleanse, our souls, soiled in the messy, cluttered muddy world. By bathing in it healing waters, nature can restore our vitality and show us our true place in the world. The forest is freedom for all.
