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Today we’d like to share an excerpt from a book we often return to when seeking both comfort and community. There is so much we can learn from nature, but this is something that stuck with us. It’s such a beautiful concept that we hope inspires you to see the bigger picture. 📚The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben 👉 “Why are trees such social beings? Why do they share food with their own species and sometimes even go so far as to nourish their competitors? The reasons are the same as for human communities: there are advantages to working together. A tree is not a forest. On its own, a tree cannot establish a consistent local climate. It is at the mercy of wind and weather. But together, many trees create an ecosystem that moderates extremes of heat and cold, stores a great deal of water, and generates a great deal of humidity. And in this protected environment, trees can live to be very old. To get to this point, the community must remain intact no matter what. If every tree were looking out only for itself, then quite a few of them would never reach old age. Regular fatalities would result in many large gaps in the tree canopy, which would make it easier for storms to get inside the forest and uproot more trees. The heat of summer would reach the forest floor and dry it out. Every tree would suffer.

Every tree, therefore, is valuable to the community and worth keeping around for as long as possible. And that is why even sick individuals are supported and nourished until they recover. Next time, perhaps it will be the other way round, and the supporting tree might be the one in need of assistance. […] A tree can be only as strong as the forest that surrounds it.” #dailyinspiration #inspirationalquotes #inspiration ...

🥬 Locally grown food tastes better because it has had less time in transit and/or less time to sit around. This state of freshness also ensures that the food stays packed with its intended and initial nutrients. 🥬 Locally grown food helps build communities because when you buy directly from the farmer, you are building a relationship while also helping to support local farmers who are providing for you as much as they are providing for their own families. 🥬 Locally grown food is good for the environment and for sustainability because good farmers ensure that the land is well kept with minimal, if any, usage of chemicals and fertilizers. These practices can sequester carbon, and they can also help ensure proper natural habitats for wildlife. ...

@lichtblickhof is a center for animal-assisted pedagogy that works with children and families burdened by traumatic experiences or illness and disability through therapeutic work with animals.

For three weeks now, the therapy farm near Vienna, Austria has not been as it was: all therapies have been canceled and most long-term sponsorships have also been put on pause. The farm carries high fixed costs like feed and veterinary care for the horses which simply cannot be avoided, putting this non-profit in a very difficult financial situation.

For more information about how you can help visit their website www.lichtblickhof.at or donate directly to account: AT25 1200 0504 7256 0101. ...