Schmitz Preserve Park - A legacy of stewardship

Schmitz Park in West Seattle exists because a couple of German immigrants (hence the name of the preserve) donated the initial  parcel of land in 1908. They did it mainly because of their concern that developers would soon level one of the last primordial and pristine landscapes reasonably untouched by improvements...or loggers. 

We stumbled upon this magical park during one of our neighborhood walks where we are currently housesitting - and entering, it felt like we were being transported back in time.  A few of the "ancient ones" had already been logged by the time the Schmitz's decided to protect the land. But much of it was untouched and the photo above is a clear testament to the legacy of stewardship which this couple created over a century ago - back in a era when there were fewer than a dozen national parks in the United States (there are over 50 now). 

The scene of a sapling tree growing from the stump of a massive tree that had been cut down long ago caused us both  to pause and reflect.  Stewardship, from a personal and professional perspective (versus conservation) in essence is about leading the way, about sharing resources and moving forward - and this symbiotic partnership between two trees is a shining example of that.

The scene reminded Jer of a particular passage in a book he had read called The Hidden Life of Trees: "the most astonishing thing about trees is how social they are. The trees in a forest care for each other, sometimes even going so far as to nourish the stump of a felled tree for centuries after it was cut down by feeding it sugars and other nutrients, and so keeping it alive."

May we all learn from the examples of those who have proceeded us - and pay it forward, with and for the next generation...as the Schmitz' did!