Photo of a conifer planted in a grove of red alder
Nature is red in tooth and claw,
so the old saying goes.
Older knowledge still says
welcoming roots and partnerships
are bound in nature as well.
Red alder trees fix nitrogen in soils
which benefit the next generation of plants.
Mycorrhizal networks below ground
connect trees such as the red alder
and pine who wish to share nutrients between species.
We could learn from this generous reciprocity.
In the oceans coral grows firm,
sheltering photosynthetic zooxanthellae algae
who in return shares their sugars
and gives the coral its beautiful colors,
reminding us that we glow brighter
when working together.
Fig trees employ aromatic signals
to draw in female fig wasps
to ready and waiting fruits with flowers inside.
The fig wasp burrows inside the narrow tunnel,
often losing her wings and even antenna
so that she can lay her eggs and pollinate the flowers
before finally expiring.
A story of parental fortitude.
Our own human ancestors
built relationships with the honeyguide,
a bird who through song and movement
flitting from tree to tree
guided listening humans to a hive
filled with golden, delicious treasure.
If we just listen and observe,
nature and evolutionary history have just as many stories
of community and mutuality as they do of competition.
