CONNECTNG WITH THE NATURAL WORLD

GEEZER FORUM - 2026 

TO:  The Coeur d'Alene Press - Senior Sentinel - Kari Packer

FROM: Virginia Taft, Occupational Therapist/Author 

DATE: July 2026

CONNECTING TO THE NATURAL WORLD 

The midst of summer is bold and bright. I am greeted in the cool of the early morning by birdsong, as well as my neighbor’s chickens who “talk” as they lay eggs. The sunshine and long, light evenings create an environment where we want to commune with nature in her brilliance. We are intertwined with that natural world even though we are often unaware of it.  

I recently was reading critiques of a book “Finding the Mother Tree” authored by a highly respected and knowledgeable forest ecologist and mycologist, Suzanne Simard. She shared the concept of “Mother” trees that, rather than competing with neighbor trees, support and nourish other trees through a mycelium network. In the past she had restrained her use of the term in scientific circles, but she has since embraced the term when speaking to the public.  

It sparked debate between those who see this as mythological nonsense. The previous notion was that nature is highly competitive and only the strong survive. Their belief is that although the mother tree does share mycelium with other trees it is not their “Mother”. That description creates an illusion of the mother tree as a sentient being with the attributes of a human mother. 

Somewhere in those extremes is a path to understanding. Any " mother figure" that is a person has an instinct for nurturing.  The species and individuals that survive are those who work the best with nature and their community. 

A strong base in living, surrounded by nature, recognizes the way life works. Indigenous cultures see the earth and nature as integral parts of who we are and aspects of nature are often described as masculine or feminine. Those personifications can help us understand the rhythms of life and respect the part each plays in nature.

Our fall Geezer Forum honors the changes in the seasons of our lives. Remember, a Geezer is not a cranky old man, but a person with a zest for living, who may just happen to have gray hair and wrinkles. We hope you will join us for the next Geezer Forum on Wednesday, Sept 9th  “Navigating New Beginnings”

If you would like more information contact geezerforumcda@gmail.com or view our Facebook group page Geezer Forum CDA. Previous Geezer Forum articles and downloads are available at virginiataft.com Virginia Taft can be reached at virginiataftauthor@gmail.com 

Taft is the author of  “The Memory Box Journey - Capturing a Life Story”  (Dream Seed Rising 2024) available on Amazon or audiobook on Audible