The Earth Belongs to Everyone, and to No One

After all, our bodies are composed of recycled matter and born of the Earth. Personally I believe that I, in my fleshly existence, belong to the Earth. What do you believe about your relationship to this planet?

The following is text from a sign on the Grove of the Patriarchs trail in Mount Rainier National Park. The trail photo is from the same area.

Old growth forests, such as the one at the Grove of the Patriarchs, comprise some of the richest and most productive ecosystems on Earth. These dense coniferous forest clothe the lower slopes and valleys of Mount Rainier National Park. Reaching from an elevation of about 2,000 feet (580 m) to an elevation of over 6,000 feet (2,000 m), these forests cover 60% of the landscape of the park. The grove is an outstanding example of the virgin forest that once extended over most of Western Washington.

The Douglas-firs, Western red cedars, and Western hemlocks that dominate the surrounding old-growth forest are but parts of the total community of animals, plants, climate, geology, soil, sunlight, and water that makes this a stately place.

Please help protect and preserve the natural beauty of this special part of Old-growth forest eco-system by treating it with respect. Leaving the trail, picking flowers and climbing on the trees cause injury that takes generations to repair.

"The Earth, like the sun, like the air, belongs to everyone... and to no one." Edward Abbey