<div class="ck-content"><h4>Rewild Earth live on Instagram!</h4><p>Konstantin joined us in Lively a few months to push back on wisteria, and caught the rewilding bug. He caught it so bad that he not only shows up regularly to remove invasives, but he also really wants a whole lot more people to discover the great things they can accomplish for the planet.</p><p>He decided to use Instagram to get out the word about rewilding in general and Rewild Earth (Triangle invasives removal) in particular. As a result, Rewild Earth now has its very own <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rewild_earth_nc/">Instagam account</a>!</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/rewild_earth_nc/">https://www.instagram.com/rewild_earth_nc/</a></p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1a9E0AkU-_VpJkr2T5BI4dWn01PpIMPo8&sz=w600-h400" alt="REPLACE" width="700" height="220"></div><p>I confess that social media is not my thing, so there's no way I would ever do this. But I am very happy to see other members of the Rewild Earth community pursue planet healing in all the ways that work for them.</p><p>Please follow rewild_earth_nc on Instagram, like and share the posts, help get the word out! (and many thanks to Konstantin!)</p><h4>Tips for Sawing</h4><p>I thought that I had thought of all the tips to give volunteers for sawing, such as:</p><ul><li>Let the saw do as much of the work as possible: take long, slow strokes, using the full length of the blade, applying just enough pressure for the teeth to engage and cut.</li><li>If your saw is sharp, it should move smoothly and quickly through the wood. If the teeth of the saw are not catching into the wood, you should replace the blade (or ask Steven for a different saw).</li><li>Cut as horizontally as you can and as low to the ground as you can. This will allow the herbicide to have maximum impact.</li><li>Do not lift or twist the blade as you pull it. It needs to stay parallel to the cut in the wood or it will bind.</li><li>If the blade binds, look at the wood you are cutting. Is it leaning towards the side you are cutting from? Then it is pressing on the blade and making it harder to pull. Either remove pressure by pulling the trunk in the direction away from the blade, or move your blade around so you are cutting on the other side.</li></ul><p>Turns out I forgot an important, as I was reminded Friday morning when I went over to Bolin Creek Trail to cut down some remaining pockets of privet. I cut a relatively small privet, but didn't pay enough attention to the overall situation and WHAM! Once cut, it was released from captivity and slammed me in the mouth.</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=13jY0-U8KpM67xAmLfNpr3cC4vuuKhTpx" alt="busted lip" width="280" height="180"></div><p>No big deal. I've been hurt worse - embarrassingly, in exactly this same scenario. I am <i>not</i> good at learning my lessons. But mabye, just maybe, if I write the lesson down and tell other people….I might think of it next time….</p><p>So another tip for everyone:</p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Is the tree standing free, or is it held in place by another tree or vine? </strong><br><strong>When you cut through the tree will it "snap" and possibly hit you in the face? </strong><br><strong>Prepare for when the tree is fully cut: position yourself (or secure the tree) so that you will not be injured.</strong></p><p>I consoled myself by stopping at Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen on the way home. Amazing biscuits!</p><h4>King of Trees</h4><p>Cat Stevens has written so many beautiful, moving songs over the years. In my current phase as an obsessed planet healer and lover of trees, this is one of my favorites (listen on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9qI64zy2Yo">Youtube</a>).</p><p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">He was the King of trees</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Keeper of the leaves</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">A deep green god of young</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Love stained memory</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">We used to meet by him</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Far from the hustling town</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">I loved you</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Now they've come to cut you down</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Down</span><br><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">He was the guardian of days</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">We held the same</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Beneath the shade he gave</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Shelter from the rain</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Oh Lord how its empty now</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">With nothing save the breeze</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Now they've come to burn the leaves</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Don't burn the leaves</span><br><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">He was the King of trees</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Keeper of the glades</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">The way he enchanted my life</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Makes me so amazed</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">We used to meet by him</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Many years ago</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">I love you</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Now they've come to lay the road</span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);">Don't lay the road</span></p><h4>Another planet-saving tip: don't wipe your butt with trees</h4><p>Seriously, this is beyond ridiculous. The planet dies without trees. And here we are cutting them down, grinding them up into pulp, using water and electricity to push them through factories and produce rolls of toilet paper to wipe our butts. Ideally, we here in the U.S. would get <i>really</i> civilized and make bidets a normal state of affairs for our bathrooms. Fat chance that.</p><p>If you can't buy or don't want a bidet, at least you can stop using trees for toilet paper. What about bamboo? Wouldn't that be a whole lot better? Yes, it would, and <a href="https://us.whogivesacrap.org/products/premium-100-bamboo-toilet-paper-double-length-rolls">Who Gives A Crap</a> makes it easy for you to make the switch. Plus, they have a great sense of humor and are clearly having the time of their lives helping us save the lives of trees.</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><img src="https://drive.google.com/thumbnail?id=1odQyA2LOj0c0etMtQvO5rUaAO4LKaNuw" alt="REPLACE" width="290" height="220"></div></div><p>Resources you might find useful:</p><ul><li><a href="https://shop.naisma.org/collections/buckthorn-blaster">Buckthorn Blasters</a>: safe, easy herbicide delivery system from the North American Invasive Species Management Association. Don't start cutting without them!</li><li><a href="https://nc-ipc.weebly.com/nc-invasive-plants.html">NC Invasive Plants list</a>: recently updated by NC-IPC, the NC Invasives Plants Council.</li><li><a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/AG259">Overview of different herbicides</a>: glyposphate, triclopyr and others - which should you use?</li><li>Volunteer for <a href="https://triangleland.org">Triangle Land Conservancy</a>: the biggest land conservancy group in our area. </li><li>Volunteer for <a href="https://ellerbecreek.org">Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association</a> (Durham): a wonderful group working hard to maintain contiguous natural areas along Ellerbe Creek.</li></ul> |