It wasn’t very difficult to find this species. Lodgepole Pines were the dominant trees in Yellowstone forests. Our campground was shaded by these slender and tall trees. More than just shade, they provided shelter for squirrels, birds, and other small creatures. These Lodgepoles seem to act as both a habitat for others and a part of the habitat itself.
The first reason I chose this species for this first day at Yellowstone is because of the sheer number of them, much like my reaction to the Ponderosa Pines in the Black Hills. At first, it seemed like they were a substitute for the previous species for this new habitat. But the more I learned about them, the more intriguing this species became. One special feature I learned was that the tree’s wood actually twists, hence its scientific name. It was so interesting to learn how something so straight and narrow was in reality extremely complex underneath the outer layer. Another reason I was drawn to this species was the sensory experience of standing in a whole wood of Lodgepole pines on a windy day. The synchronized swaying of the lanky trees and the deafening sound of rustling leaves high above me was mesmerizing. Lastly, I learned that the species was self pruning; Lodgepoles shed their lower branches as they grow to be more efficient and maintain the health of the tree overall.
The self pruning quality of this tree reminds me a lot of when we studied “The Basic Principles of Deep Ecology”, particularly the points that state that humans are too excessive for this world. In my analogy, humans are the branches and the planet is the tree. To preserve the health of the planet, humans need to be reduced—not necessarily only our population, but our interference. Our overbearing and over extractive presence on this planet is causing the system to fail. The lodgepole maintains its system by shedding what it no longer can support. But in the human-planet relationship, there is an ethical component. Who is shed? How are they shed? Based on the current system, the Global South and oppressed people are already being cut off due to environmental racism (sacrifice zones, etc.) and the apathy of the privileged. I question deeply the justice in this process. I think there is still a long way to go in terms of education and equity for this self pruning to occur fairly. But I fear society keeps turning away and stalling while the clock continues to tick.
Journal entry by Gabrielle Dizon
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