Harmony in Discord: Richard St. Barbe Baker’s Environmental Legacy Amidst the Ravages of War

As we observe Remembrance Day, a day to honor those who have sacrificed for the cause of peace, the echoes of conflict ripple beyond the human sphere, impacting the delicate tapestry of our environment. In this reflection, we delve into the intersection of wartime devastation and the legacy of global conservationist and humanitarian Richard St. Barbe Baker, exploring how war affects biodiversity and the environment.

Richard St. Barbe Baker: A Beacon of Conservation

Known as the “Man of the Trees,” Richard St. Barbe Baker dedicated his life to global conservation and humanitarian efforts. His vision was rooted in the belief that the planting of trees could heal the Earth and promote harmony between humanity and nature. Amidst the chaos of war, St. Barbe Baker’s principles serve as a reminder of the resilience and interconnectedness of all living beings.

“world afforestation is necessary because it is the most constructive and peaceable enterprise in which nations could cooperate.”

Richard St. Barbe Baker

The Toll of War on Biodiversity:

Wartime brings not only human suffering but also poses a grave threat to biodiversity. Quoting sources like Our Endangered World and Treehugger, we understand that the collateral damage of war can lead to the death of up to 90% of large animals in affected areas. The devastation includes habitat destruction, pollution, and the disruption of ecosystems.

Environmental Degradation in the Wake of Conflict:

Sources such as the Organization for the Conservation of the Environment and other articles from News on Air and Study.com highlight how war contributes to environmental degradation. From the contamination of bodies of water to the destruction of natural vegetation, the irreversible damage inflicted by conflict reverberates long after the last battle has ended.

The Silent Victims: Wildlife and Natural Habitats:

Drawing on expert opinions from AA News and News on Air, we explore the impact of armed conflicts on wildlife and ecosystems. The disruption caused by warfare affects migration patterns, breeding grounds, and the overall health of ecosystems, leading to a decline in biodiversity.

As we honor those who have sacrificed, let us also heed the call of environmental stewardship embodied by Richard St. Barbe Baker. In the face of war’s destructive force, may his legacy inspire us to sow seeds of conservation, fostering a world where peace coexists with the vibrant tapestry of biodiversity.

  This generation may either be the last to exist in any semblance of a civilised world or that it will be the first to have the vision, the bearing and the greatness to say, ‘I will have nothing to do with this destruction of life, I will play no part in this devastation of the land, I am determined to live and work for peaceful construction for I am morally responsible for the world of today and the generations of tomorrow.’

Richard St. Barbe Baker

Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941),Richard St. Barbe Baker OBE (9 October 1889 – 9 June 1982)

Bibliography:

1. Our Endangered World. “War and the Effect on Wildlife.” Link
2. Conflict and Environment Observatory. “How Does War Damage the Environment?” Link
3. Anadolu Agency. “Armed Conflicts Affect Environment and Wildlife: Experts.” Link
4. Treehugger. “The Effects of War on the Environment.” Link
5. News on Air. “Environmental Impacts of Wars: The Irreversible Damage.” Link
6. Study.com. “How Has the War Affected the Environment and Natural Vegetation?” Link
7. National Center for Biotechnology Information. “The Impact of War on the Environment and Human Health: A Narrative Review.” Link

For more information:
Blairmore Sector Plan Report; planning for the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, George Genereux Urban Regional Park and West Swale and areas around them inside of Saskatoon city limits
NEW P4G District Official Community Plan
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. 52° 06′ 106° 45′
Addresses:
Part SE 23-36-6 – Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A
Part SE 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A
S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – 467 Township Road 362-A
NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063
Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot
Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com
Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map
Where is the George Genereux Urban Regional Park (Afforestation Area)?with map
Pinterest richardstbarbeb
Blogger: FriendsAfforestation
Tumblr friendsafforestation.tumblr.comFacebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park
Facebook: StBarbeBaker Afforestation Area
Facebook for the non profit Charity Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. FriendsAreas
Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Facebook: South West OLRA
Reddit: FriendsAfforestation
Twitter: St Barbe Baker Charity Twitter:FriendsAreas
Mix: friendsareas
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Please help protect / enhance your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail / e-transfers )Support the afforestation areas with your donation or membership ($20.00/year). Please donate by paypal or by using e-transfers Please and thank you! Your donation and membership is greatly appreciated. Members e-mail your contact information to be kept up to date!
Donations can be made through Paypal, Canada Helps, Contact Donate A Car Canada, SARCAN Drop & Go 106100594 for the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc.
United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
Use the UN Decade’s Visual Identity
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Spread the word about the UN Decade
Let’s Bring Back Forests
Let’s Green Our Cities
“Be like a tree in pursuit of your cause. Stand firm, grip hard, thrust upward. Bend to the winds of heaven..”
Richard St. Barbe Baker

Healing with trees?

World Healing Day

 

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area in the fog

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, south west sector, in the City of Saskatoon, SK, CA

This World Healing Day, April 29, try Shinrin-yoku Forest Bathing, it is an amazing health activity. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, lay your hands on your favourite tree. Pass the word on, and invite the world to experience; Shinrin-yoku Forest Bathing

“We stand in awe and wonder at the beauty of a single tree. Tall and graceful it stands, yet robust and sinewy with spreading arms decked with foliage that changes through the seasons, hour by hour, moment by moment as shadows pass or sunshine dapples the leaves. How much more deeply are we moved as we begin to appreciate the combined operations of the assembly of trees we call a forest.~Richard St. Barbe Baker

Forest-bathing describes the practice of taking a short, leisurely visit to a forest for health benefits. The practice originated in Japan where it is called shinrin-yoku. A forest bathing trip involves visiting a forest for relaxation and recreation while breathing in volatile substances, called phytoncides (wood essential oils), which are antimicrobial volatile organic compounds derived from trees, such as α-Pinene and limonene.

Incorporating forest bathing trips into a good lifestyle was first proposed in 1982 by the Forest Agency of Japan. It has now become a recognized relaxation and/or stress management activity in Japan. According to Cassandra Szlaraski, ” the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, translates to “taking in the forest atmosphere.”

“Soon I was completely isolated in the luxuriant, tangled growth of ferns which were well above my head. In my infant mind I seemed to have entered a fairyland of my dreams. “I wandered on as in a dream, all sense of time and space lost … “I became intoxicated with the beauty all around me, immersed in the joyousness and exultation of feeling part of it all. “I had entered the temple of the wood. I sank to the ground in a state of ecstasy; everything was intensely vivid – the call of a distant cuckoo seemed just for me … “The overpowering beauty of it all entered my very being. “At that moment my heart brimmed over with a sense of unspeakable thankfulness which has followed me through the years since that woodland re-birth …~Richard St. BarbeBaker. “I was in love with life: I was indeed born again, although I could not have explained what had happened to me then.”~Richard St. Barbe Baker My Life My Trees

“In Japan and Korea, forest therapy modalities are integrated into their medical system and are covered by insurance,” said Ben Page, a certified forest therapy guide who founded Shinrin Yoku Los Angeles. ” Meeri Kim, also notes that “phytoncides, which are antimicrobial organic compounds given off by plants. They argue that by breathing in the volatile substances released by the forest, people achieve relaxation… Phytoncides —are colloquially known in forest bathing circles as “the aroma of the forest.” Quing Li, senior Assistant Professor at Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, figures that the increase in people’s natural killer (NK) cells increase due to the Phytoncides which are the essential oils from trees. α-pinene and limonene are examples of tree “perfumes” which are antimicrobial volatile organic compounds.

“For years, I’ve charged my batteries on trees. You have to select a special tree friend. When I came out of hospital after a serious operation, I chose a Cedar of Lebanon. Cedar itself comes from the Arabic word meaning strength.” “I used to do two minutes on and two minutes off, then two minutes again. After about four minutes, your hands begin to tingle. I wouldn’t recommend to a beginner to take more than a minute to start with.” ~Richard St. Barbe Baker speaks of laying the palm of hands on a tree trunk.

And just as Richard St. Barbe Baker attests, so, to does Dr. Li, lay your hands on the trees, touch the trees, and open yourself to the healing. The experience is enhanced, if one absorbs the sights, sounds, colours through all the five senses as one walks slowly and meditatively through the forest. An excellent day spent forest bathing would be to wander for about four hours while walking about 5 kilometers through the woods. Forest bathing can also be done for half this time, strolling 2.5 kilometers over 2.5 hours.

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men’s hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit. —Robert Louis Stevenson

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Forest Bathing Wikipedia

Healthy Parks Healthy People Central. Forest Bathing

Kim, Meeri. ‘‘Forest bathing’ is latest fitness trend to hit U.S. — ‘Where yoga was 30 years ago’ Washington Post.

Li, Quing. Effect of Forest Bathing trips on Human Immune Systems. Environ Health. 2010 Jan. 15 (1) 9-17. Published online 2009 Mar 25 doi 10.1007/s12199-008-0058-3

Shinrin Yoku

Szlarski, Cassandra What is Forest Bathing? Global News.

What is World Healing Day About World Healing Day A Global Health and Healing Event.

World healing day Facebook

World Healing Day

Your Brain on Nature: Forest Bathing and Reduced Stress. Mother Earth News.

“A forest is a perfect example of the law of return in action. Trees give back to the earth more than they take, while building up humus, and enriching the soil by the minerals that have been carried up to the leaves in the rising sap. By nature man is

a forest dweller. He was cradled in the tropics. His food was the fruit of the trees. He possessed the secret of adaptation to his environment, so that health, gentleness, beauty and strength were enjoyed to the full. In his forest setting man was conscious of his relationship to God and of his unity with all living things.`Richard St. Barbe Baker

For directions as to how to drive to “George Genereux” Urban Regional Park

For directions on how to drive to Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

For more information:

Blairmore Sector Plan Report; planning for the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area,  George Genereux Urban Regional Park and West Swale and areas around them inside of Saskatoon city limits

P4G Saskatoon North Partnership for Growth The P4G consists of the Cities of Saskatoon, Warman, and Martensville, the Town of Osler and the Rural Municipality of Corman Park; planning for areas around the afforestation area and West Swale outside of Saskatoon city limits

Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada north of Cedar Villa Road, within city limits, in the furthest south west area of the city. 52° 06′ 106° 45′
Addresses:
Part SE 23-36-6 – Afforestation Area – 241 Township Road 362-A
Part SE 23-36-6 – SW Off-Leash Recreation Area (Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area ) – 355 Township Road 362-A
S ½ 22-36-6 Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area (West of SW OLRA) – 467 Township Road 362-A
NE 21-36-6 “George Genereux” Afforestation Area – 133 Range Road 3063
Wikimapia Map: type in Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area
Google Maps South West Off Leash area location pin at parking lot
Web page: https://stbarbebaker.wordpress.com
Where is the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area? with map
Where is the George Genereux Urban Regional Park (Afforestation Area)? with map

Pinterest richardstbarbeb

Facebook Group Page: Users of the George Genereux Urban Regional Park

Facebook: StBarbeBaker

Facebook group page : Users of the St Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

Facebook: South West OLRA

Twitter: StBarbeBaker

You Tube Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area

You Tube George Genereux Urban Regional Park

Please help protect / enhance your afforestation areas, please contact the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas Inc. (e-mail)

Support the afforestation areas with your donation or membership ($20.00/year).  Please donate by paypal using the e-mail friendsafforestation AT gmail.com, or by using e-transfers  Please and thank you!  Your donation and membership is greatly appreciated.  Members e-mail your contact information to be kept up to date!

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“St. Barbe’s unique capacity to pass on his enthusiasm to others. . . Many foresters all over the world found their vocations as a result of hearing ‘The Man of the Trees’ speak. I certainly did, but his impact has been much wider than that. Through his global lecture tours, St. Barbe has made millions of people aware of the importance of trees and forests to our planet.” Allan Grainger

“The science of forestry arose from the recognition of a universal need. It embodies the spirit of service to mankind in attempting to provide a means of supplying forever a necessity of life and, in addition, ministering to man’s aesthetic tastes and recreational interests. Besides, the spiritual side of human nature needs the refreshing inspiration which comes from trees and woodlands. If a nation saves its trees, the trees will save the nation. And nations as well as tribes may be brought together in this great movement, based on the ideal of beautifying the world by the cultivation of one of God’s loveliest creatures – the tree.” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker.

 

Let TAWAMHWE-pull together-be our motto and I pray that we may give our active support to all efforts of desert reclamation by tree planting and I pray that I may be just to the Earth below my feet, to my neighbour by my side and to the light which comes from above and within, and this wonderful world of ours may be a little more beautiful and happy for