What have we forgotten?

On reclaiming the wild within

I have lived in the woods for over twelve years now. I was afraid of them for eleven. I loved being surrounded by a ring of green acres deep on all sides, but I never went into the woods except occasionally in the winter when the understory lays shriveled and dormant and the snakes and ticks were hibernating. The things I didn’t know about the woods were extensive. I didn’t know grass grew naturally beneath the trees in some places. I didn’t know the variety of flowers to be found in virtually every season except winter. I didn’t know how many waves of spring ephemerals there were. I had seen pictures of trilliums but never one in real life until this past spring. 

I lived on the edge of a whole world and never ventured further. 

Until I did.  

Why do people fear the woods? Or why do people not remember how to coexist with the other inhabitants of this planet. This theme comes up in shows and movies because as the Doctor once said: “The forest is mankind’s nightmare.” (Doctor Who, “The F…