Embracing Change:

A Lesson Learned from Nature

While cross-country skiing on a beautiful late March afternoon I crested a hill and immediately noticed a huge pile of wood chips around the base of a large, mature beech tree.  The wet chips shone bright orange against the glare of the snow.  The pile was so deep that it looked as if someone had rolled a wheelbarrow up to this tree and dumped it there.  I skied down to the tree and looked up at its gnarled trunk.   Several large rectangular holes, characteristic of the pileated woodpecker, were evident everywhere.   Nearly as big as a crow, the pileated is North America’s largest woodpecker species. 

At some point after the beech tree along my ski trail reached maturity, it was invaded by beech bark disease.  The disease, called nectria, is actually a complex relationship between an insect and a fungus. With its bark compromised, the tree became susceptible to rot, which led to perfect habitat for a colony of ants.  Woodpeckers, hunting for their favorite food – carpenter ants – will often excavate so much of the tree that the trunk itself breaks in half.  Once this happens, soil microbes and various types of fungi will begin to decompose the tree.  The decomposition of the wood adds nutrients to the soil, and the empty space in the forest canopy provides light and space for new trees to take root. 

Ecologists at one time thought that systems in the natural world were moving toward an equilibrium, or “climax” state.  An example is an old growth forest that has reached a state of balance with very little change occurring.   However, current thinking in ecology is that this theoretical “balance of nature” was more myth than fact, and that change is the only constant in the natural world. 

As I continued on through the woods, the snow softening in the brilliant spring sun, I reflected on the fact that all around us in nature are lessons to be learned.   In the mixed woods along my ski trail, nothing is wasted, but nothing stays the same for long.  The pileated woodpecker, the beech tree, and the beech bark disease nectria all have a role to play in the cycles of change, which ultimately lead to new growth. 

The Maine Conservation School has an incredible fifty-year history of providing outdoor education to Maine people.  Yet it was time for a change.  Our partnership with UMaine Cooperative Extension and 4-H is a natural fit.  Just as systems in nature that are more diverse are better able to withstand disturbances like storms, fire or harsh winters, organizations that form partnerships are better able to grow, develop and adapt.  As Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center, the legacy of the Maine Conservation School will continue, and the western shores of Bryant Pond will be the site for children and adults to learn and grow in the open air for generations to come.