The Guardians Report

Each year, as the Earth turns on its axis and spins round the wobbling sun, the light lessens by about three minutes a day at this time of year in this region of Canada. The blooms in the gardens, still reflect the glorious rays of sun that fall upon them, until the roars of the autumn winds chase the sweet whispering breezes and scents of summer away.  

Kat entered the woods at the Point. The darkness and wet awakened the shadows and an unlikely cast of characters appeared. The tree men, women and animals were out in full force. Kat saw them gaze over the changing sea scape and forest. Each held an aura of aged wisdom.

Trees communicate, without words, in an ancient language. Kat did her best to use her knowledge of recent facts to translate the expressions on the trees' faces.

The protectress, a descendent of the Egyptian cat Goddess Bastet, greeted her at the entrance.

“We have lived in these woods for hundreds of years. We have an incredible underground network that lets us know the old stories.

" The story of Auld Cruivie,  the giant ancient  prominent oak tree that sits at the heart of the old road, stands as a symbol of timelessness and renewal in a land that has  known misery over the ages. The oak lives in a climax community, that maintains the fleeting possibility of stability.  It is considered the Kings of the Trees, and the all-seeing tree of knowledge.

The tale of Cruivie, describes a lazy and foolish clown,  descended from the dark and swarthy Maurice’s and Mohammed’s from Mauritian and Egyptian slaves. The hero, called Jack Pudding, Macaroni, the Morris fool,  the English hero John, the German, Hans and Russian, Ivan, embodies how successful transformations can come from any experience. In the oral tradition, Jack gains knowledge about nature and the language of the elements and cleverly uses tricks as a rites of passage.

Jack told his master, the greedy Laird of the Black Airt, the story of Old Cruvie. The leader of the dance of the trees, that occured every fifty years during the solstice, would lift his roots and  leave   holes in the ground  revealing long hidden jewels and untold treasures.  At solstice, Jack stayed only long enough to acquire the treasures he needed, so  that he could plant  them and let them grow to make more.  His master stayed too long and was crushed when Auld Cruivie returned and reset it roots. The tale symbolizes environmental truth, and is a reminder of nature’s balance. "

Kat continued her walk and came upon a gasping tree.

""We cannot all be wise oaks who create stable ground. Most of us reproduce quickly, and are part of a succession of change. We are renewable resources. We follow the laws of nature that remain unchanged for millennia. The laws of supply and demand, the regularity of the ocean tides, the perihelion of Mercury’s orbit, the photoelectric effect, the expanding universe.

"We learn through stories. The Holy thorn of Glastonbury is part of the legend of Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus’ uncle.  While climbing Wearyall Hill, he planted his staff in the soil, where it miraculously took root and sprouted branches and leaves, associated with supernatural and magical powers, of fairies and the border between this world and the mysterious ‘other’ that some call fairies, or shape shifting Kelpies. In truth the 'other' is really something far more mysterious.

"In New Zealand, Tane Mahuta, also called 'God of the Forest', estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years old, reigns over plants and animals, and is the bringer of higher consciousness and knowledge.

" The world tree, the cosmic ash called Yggdrasil,in Norwegian myth, serves as the ultimate source of wisdom. Yet, Ash are  dying because of a disease transmitted by the fungus that originated in Japan around the year 2002."

Kat continues walking and came upon an angry pinched lipped forest guardian.

"Many sacred trees, custodians of the woodland, have to deal with the irrational, narcissistic, compulsive, shortsighted humans who are in a constant state of denial, and are unable to deal with their greed, rage, vengeance and ambition.  Their actions have destroyed water security, with long lasting effects, from bombs and pesticides. Now,  pollution, drought, ecosystem degradation and climate change are taking their toll."

Kat continued to the next guardian.

"Some things just feel wrong. They show up at the wrong time. In this year of 2026, plants and animals have not functioned in synchrony. Unseasonably warm winter and early spring temperatures caused early snow melts, forcing many native wild plants to bloom weeks before pollinators completely emerged from hibernation, leaving plants unpollinated and insects without an initial food source. Conversely, sudden warm spells triggered early foraging flights by certain bee colonies who used  their stored honey reserves searching for non-existent blooms. Extreme weather events of floods, heat domes and drought and forest fires have caused stress resulting in trees changing colour early."

Kat stood still in her tracks as a tree long in the tooth spoke.

"Warming and cooling cycles are fairly regular. They are influenced by a number of factors, including increasing El Nino events that cause warming of the Pacific Ocean.El Nino is in part caused by volcanic eruptions from oil and gas drilling accidents that puncture pressurized aquifers,  fracking by fluid injection of wastewater into the ground for hydraulic fracturing or geothermal power, massive mining and excavation, that reduces surface weight causing crustal decompression allowing dissolved gases to rapidly escape and expand like opening a shaken soda bottle, underground nuclear testing, and glacial melting that drops the pressure on underlying mantle rocks, thus accelerating magma production and releasing large quantities of sulphur dioxide, that is transformed into aerosols in the atmosphere, and will disrupt the climate for several years."

Kat stopped at the coppiced land-locked Quinotaur tree, known since Frankish legend of Merovingian kings.

"Things are amuck. We are not doomsayers, we are the guardians of the forest and waters. This year is different. Winter and spring Chinook Salmon have changed their diet and are aggressively gorging on a massive resurgence of squid rather than relying purely on herring.

"Rapid climate change is melting Arctic sea ice much earlier than normal. Gray whales usually eat the shrimp-like crustaceans (amphipods) on the seafloor but they are dying off or declining in quality.Whales cannot build up enough body fat during the summer feeding season to survive their long annual migration. Emaciated gray whales and other marine mammals are experiencing a high number of strandings and deaths along Canada's Pacific and Atlantic coasts, driven largely by starvation and environmental stress. Orcas, seals and sea lions have been able to coexist with vessels, but whales have not, being struck and killed by seadoos,  whale-watching boat and ferries.

"The annual snow-cover period in regions like the Canadian Rockies has declined by over a month since the early 1970s, yet the silly humans still deny climate change."

A sober tree passed on yet another message.

"Bears are entering hyperphagia, a natural autumn phase of intense, almost constant eating, to build fat reserves before winter hibernation.
This summer's wildfires have destroyed habitats, and impacted food sources that bears and other wildlife depend on to prepare for winter.

"Bald eagles are threatened by habitat loss because of clear-cutting and logging of old-growth coastal forests,  powerline entanglement,  plus human interference and harassment near nests, and illegal hunting. Loss of biodiversity and habitat, plus climate change caused by those pesky humans are twisting nature’s laws."

As Kat left the forest one very femininely shaped tree spoke.

"Most of mankind do not even know why wars are being fought, let alone understand nature. They ignore warnings, calling them fake news, to divert attention from taking action. These beasts do not trust their own intelligence. They choose the mechanical logic of machines without emotions or feelings of connection.

"Please report what you have distilled of the spirit from the guardians of nature. Time is of the essence. The Keeper of the Chronicles is bound not to rebel against nations of the world nor be oppressed, and must speak only truth. We are all at risk. We must have hope that the sacred feminine, the wise woman and healer, can help the Earth recover, by changing those who feed on insatiable greed and insecurities to seek balance."