2024 Year of The Maple

In February, 2024 our elder Big Leaf Maple began a final bow to the ground. The upper branches of this giant wove into other surrounding trees as it fell, slowing its final decent, for now. Hoping the root ball was still connected, I have chosen to leave the tree as is to allow spring bloom, summer leaf out, and fall drop before trimming some of the branches blocking the access. No part of the bridge was harmed, though a beefy branch did fall onto the bridge and needed to be removed. Much of teh debris that came down fell on the banks of the stream, building a natural mesh of organic matter to help hold the steep wall of clay and gravel. So much of the original stream bed of our creek was eroded away after two rounds of clear cutting, and without more restoration down stream, flooding and erosion will continue to damage the landscape.

Allowing trees to fall and stay where they land builds fast forest floor and water retention, encouraging resiliency in the face of drought. Along with all the wonderful restoration rolls a fallen tree offers, our maple also gifted us with edible flowers. As the cascading blossoms unfold, we took and afternoon to harvest a bag or two for the table at home. Since the branches of this tree are now in reach, we had an easy time picking this spring feast from our grove.

For my first taste of maple blossoms, I added some nettle, butter, and salt, then mixed into a greater fried rice dish with egg and pecans. Just a sprinkle of summer sausage and the full range of flavors came through in this delicious dinner. To eat from our trees, fed such nutrition from the land, this is the dream. Finding feast where they land enables a deeper connection to our ever changing woodland, reminding us that even falling trees are full of treasure to enjoy.