If trees could speak

The Preserve protects the ancient oak and cedar crosstimbers barrier to the great plains. (Nature Conservancy)

         When I think of trees I have this image all the time of Pocahontas and the tree that would talk to er. The tree had an older ladies voice and she was full of knowledge of her forest. In Oklahoma we have an ancient forest that could probably talk of the stories and knowledge they have seen throughout their days there. These trees are part of the Keystone Ancient Forest Preserve; this preserve is there to protect the ancient oak and cedar crosstimbers barrier to the Great Plains. The preserve has some trees that date back nearly 500 years ago, one could only imagine what they’ve seen.

                “The winter trees of the Keystone Ancient Forest Preserve raise their twisted branches against whatever might come of this lastest weather assault sweeping across Lake Keystone (Nature.org).” These trees in the Keystone area have been there for nearly 500 years. No one has tried to cut or burn them down to create a spot for them because of the rugged terrain. These trees have been through it all from getting their tops knocked off from wind or broken limbs from the intense ice storms Oklahoma has. Even through the worst of worst the trees in the spring still create a beautiful sense just 15 miles out ok Tulsa, OK.

                The crosstimbers once covered 30,000 miles from Texas through Oklahoma and up to Kansas, “and they were here when the Europeans explorers wandered through the state and when Indian tribes called it home. They here before this was America (Nature.org).” To think if only these trees could speak about the times they have seen and what they think of their surroundings are today. The crosstimbers were named from settlers trying to travel through and the forest and it was nearly impossible to travel through. Even Washington Irving passed through the Ancient trees and wrote to people thinking about traveling through the keystone ancient trees “struggling though forests of cast iron (Nature.org).” Sadly today throughout the Oklahoma ancient crosstimbers there has already been about 80 percent lost due to clearing for grazing or crops or development.

Picture from Nature.org

                Until recently there have been no park of preserve dedicated to these ancient historic forests. The Nature Conservancy hope by creating this preserve, they can save what has not been lost of this majestic forest and have the same turn out as they did with the Oklahoma Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. It is good to know that the preserve is doing this for our ancient trees, you would not think that these trees are what you see when you are driving from Stillwater to Tulsa. The hidden treasures that Oklahoma has we need to keep a living and well to be able to keep our state live and well. These trees have gone through the ice, fire and droughts so we should give them the help now by protecting them from what we can.

This area of trees are a great symbol of Oklahoma that were a little rugged and a little touch to get around but once you step back and take a breath for a minute you will see the beauty we offer. I think that each time we drive by on our way to Tulsa or coming back we should just tip our hats and say thanks, thank you for making this place we inhabit a place of beauty and life. Only if these ancient trees could talk about the things they have seen. We need to do our best to keep the last remaining parts of the once 30,000 mile forest there to show others our history.