Everyone loves trees - American Forest magazine's Global ReLeaf 2000 project

American Forests, Summer, 1998 by Nancy Anne Dawe

IN THE FIRST OF AN OCCASIONAL SERIES, WE SALUTE SOME OF THOSE HELPING MAKE GLOBAL RELEAF 2000's 20-MILLION-TREES GOAL A REALITY.

"Everyone loves trees," says geographer Shaul Ephraim Cohen, an assistant professor at the University of Oregon in Eugene. His own attention was drawn to trees during his childhood in Evanston, Illinois.

"One of my profound impressions was of the fall colors of the elms - some of which still survive," he says. This environmental interest continued, leading to a geography major in college. "I wanted to be able to interpret the landscape wherever I was - not simply as a tourist," he says.

And interpret landscapes he has - both here and abroad. While earning a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and living in Jerusalem, he conducted his doctoral research, "The Politics of Planting," on the explosive West Bank. The experience demonstrated "that even though the Israelis and Palestinians were dealing with bitter conflicts, both recognized the value of planting trees. Not infrequently, the antagonists could deal with each other because of a love of trees."

Cohen not only teaches (including graduate seminars such as "The Tree and Forest in the Human Experience"), he also lectures, writes, participates in panel discussions, and consults. And actively plants trees. In fact, he's among the most prodigious planters to record his efforts on AMERICAN FORESTS' web page. That's where individuals can count their trees toward AMERICAN FORESTS' Global ReLeaf 2000 goal of planting 20 million trees for the new millennium.

"I'm always on the lookout for material about tree planting, either in magazines, on the web, or public campaigns. I belong to AMERICAN FORESTS and saw that you could log trees in."

Cohen quickly notes his planting is done together with - and on the land of - his friend and colleague, Carl Johannessen, a retired geography professor from the same university. Johannessen owns a small organic farm just outside the city of Eugene, "where he plants for food, fun, and scientific interest," says Cohen.

Nearly 20 years ago Johannessen planted a windbreak along one edge of his property to eventually shield a grove of variegated fruit trees. The men are planting adjacent to the windbreak on a fertile floodplain of the Willamette River, so far installing 230 Douglas-firs and 200 grand firs, with 100 poplars soon to come. "I enjoy working with Carl on this patch of land where I can plant and maintain the trees," says Cohen. Adds Johannessen, "We are making a new forest, creating a small patch of woods the animals will enjoy."

Along with environmental reasons for tree planting, there are less serious ones. Says Cohen, "I asked Carl why he thought we were doing this and he said, 'exercise.' He's exactly twice my age and doing just fine. I might have said 'recreation' among my many reasons, but the 'exercise' certainly gives testimony to the 'no pain, no gain' school of forestry! I'm glad that I planted the idea with him..."

And the two of them are "adding Karma fast." According to Johannessen, "that's the Buddhist philosophy that when you do good it goes out into the world." And adds Cohen, "The tree planting makes both of us feel good that we're doing something important, something broader than daily life."

Other seeds have been unexpectedly sown. An offshoot of the planting is the reaction of Cohen's 7-year-old son, who happily accompanies his dad to Johannessen's farm. "One day, he drew my attention to a distant clearcut, using the proper term. I was impressed with both his interest and observation of the landscape."