The tree whisperer

The forests of New England prepared Paul Harris for a lifetime in Rotary

By Geoff Johnson

When he was a boy growing up in Vermont, Paul Harris made a startling discovery: “Trees talk to each other in a language of their own.” How else could they flawlessly orchestrate the brilliant display of color that each fall without fail set New England ablaze? It seemed obvious: In order to dazzle, the trees must first plan, they must plot, they must converse. 

Ipil: Intsia bijuga Reforestation: Logging and slash-and-burn farming have led to the near-extirpation of the ipil in parts of Southeast Asia; the tree’s wood is used for furniture and flooring. District 3830 (Philippines) planted ipil seedlings to reforest 5,000 hectares of the Irawan Watershed on the Philippine island of Palawan. In a project led by the Rotary Club of Makati Olympia, Rotarians also gave 24 indigenous Batak families 50 seedlings each of kalamansi, a native citrus tree.  

Illustration by Laszlo Kubinyi