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tamarack wrote

The tamarack, also called the larch, is a tree that lives in the same woods I do. Its wood is extremely strong, but also very flexible, which makes it a great choice for making snowshoes out of. In fact, the name comes from the Algonquian language and means "wood for making snowshoes". Weirdly enough, they're deciduous conifers -- they have needles for leaves, but they lose them in the winter!

Tamaracks are really hardy trees. They can survive in very poor soil, like the kind you find in peat bogs. They can withstand temperatures of -60°. Unless you cut one down to use the wood (make sure you ask for forgiveness first and plant three new trees afterwards!), they're fuckin' hard to kill.

The tamarack offers us a metaphor for a good way to live. Be tough yet flexible. Go where others haven't got the guts to tread. Be brave, be a pioneer; and don't be afraid to shed away things that aren't useful to you anymore.

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sand wrote

cool. thanks for sharing. sounds like a beautiful tree. i gotta learn me some tree names now

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tamarack wrote

See if there's a Peterson Field Guide for the area where you live. IIRC they have ones for both Eastern and Western Forests, Atlantic and Pacific Seashores, and (I think) the Gulf Coast.

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