Atomos

Something for your Friday. Beautiful clip of Wayne McGregor's (see Infra) new choreography, Atomos. Described as "atomising bodies, movement, film, sound and light into miniature shards of intense sensation". Definitely full-screen for this. Music is by neo-classical ambient composers, A Winged Victory for the Sullen. [NOTE: A Winged Victory for the Sullen records on the innovative and imaginative Erased Tapes label, as do two of my favorite musicians/composers, Ólafur Arnalds (see Near Light and Haegt, kemur ljósiỗa) and Nils Frahm (see Nils Frahm)].

More Cabins at Camp Deerpark

And, speaking of beautiful white pine boards and gorgeous roofs (see Roof Aesthetics 2), this is what the ceilings in the new cabins at Camp Deerpark look like. All of the boards shown, even the joists and the 8x8 center posts, were grown, cut, milled, and planed on-site. What a lovely bit of carpentry and nature to reflect on as you are laying in your bunk looking up (bows to the Camp Deerpark Forestry Stewardship Team).  

More Growth Rings

And speaking of growth rings, the rings widths on these Pinus patula boards at the INFOMASC (Industria Forestal Maderera de Santiago Comaltepec) sawmill in Oaxaca are pretty impressive. Not surprising, really, because I know that these forest are very well managed - and FSC certified. 

As emphasized by the sign in front of the sawmill, "Profitable Forests" (Bosque Rentable) are "Sustainable Forests" (Bosque Sustentable). [NOTE: Our tree growth workshop (see Growth Bands in Comaltepec) was held in a restaurant right in front of this sawmill. Fitting].

Cabins at Camp Deerpark

To tie everything together, the forest management operations at Camp Deerpark (see Elias Drops A White Pine, Tree Marking II) produce the logs that are run through a small sawmill (see Camp Deerpark Forestry) and turned into boards which are then used to make beautiful cabins for the camp (see above). What a great, totally integrated system for using/conserving a small woodlot in the Catskills. [NOTE: All the boards shown above are white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and all of the cabins are being built with loving care by the incomparable Kenton Baer and team (bows of gratitude, Kenton).

Tree Cores

Spent the weekend at Camp Deerpark (see Camp Deerpark Forestry) taking cores from the commercial tree species in the forest. The growth data collected from the cores will be used to recalculate the allowable cut each year. Its been years since we've done this, and the forest has been logged several times and we have also done some timber stand improvement. There's a very good chance that the residual trees are growing faster as a result of our management efforts.

Analysis of a few of the cores suggest that this is exactly what is happening in the forest. Look at the white pine (WP) and Red oak (RO) cores shown above (the ones with the red bars). The annual ring widths, i.e. growth rates, during the past seven years - the period delineated by the red line - are notably larger than those shown to the right of the red bar. The management activities at Camp Deerpark are clearly having a positive effect on the forest. The wider growth rings are a tree's way of smiling.

Holding Wires

A lovely Nat statue outside of a restaurant in Homalin, Sagaing Division, does double duty: as an object of veneration (see Nat Worship) and a useful place to store a bunch of excess electrical wire. [NOTE: The empty beer bottle on the table in the restaurant adds even another dimension to the image].    

Thitwa

U Myint Thein from the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary examines the stump of a large thitwa (Neonauclea griffithii Hook f. Merr) tree near the site of our first inventory transect in the forests outside of Tikon (see Tikon). [NOTE: I was standing precariously on a piece of log when I took the photo. The red color of the wood was even more spectacular than shown in the image].

Peter Matthiessen Dies

Peter Mathiesseen, gifted writer, naturalist, environmental activist, spy (briefly), and Zen Master died of leukemia at his home in Sagoponack, NY last Saturday. He was 86.

Mathiessen is perhaps my favorite author, and The Snow Leopard, the National Book Award (1980) winning novel of his trip to the Dolpo Region of the Tibetan Plateau with George Schaller, has accompanied me on several expeditions. A fantastic book that rewards repeated reading. His Nine-Headed Dragon River is a delightful book and a source of continual insight and motivation for Zen students. I have just started Far Tortuga, which I had never read for some reason, and am struck that it may be his finest work. 

There was a beautiful piece on Matthiessen in the NY Times Magazine this weekend (written before he died). Toward the end of the article, Matthiessen offers some thoughts on dying: “The Buddha says that all suffering comes from clinging. I don’t want to cling. I’ve had a good life, you know. Lots of adventures. It’s had some dark parts, too, but mainly I’ve had a pretty good run of it, and I don’t want to cling too hard. I have no complaints.” He will be sorely missed. [NOTE: Photo by Damon Winter, The New York Times].

Museu de las Culturas de Oaxaca

The convent at the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman (see Virgin Mary) was converted to a gorgeous museum of Oaxacan cultures in 1972. Hundreds of lovely artifacts on display, but I was perhaps most captivated by the turquoise-encrusted skull from Tomb 7 at Monte Alban. Dates to the 14th century. [NOTE: Prior to its conversion to a museum, the convent had served as a military barracks for 40 years].

Slow Life

Incredible video by Daniel Stoupin showing the corals and sponges of the Great Barrier Reef. Apparentyly took 150,000 still shots to make. Definitely view full screen HD. Truly breathtaking. And Save the Great Barrier Reef. [NOTE: Go here for a detailed explantation of how this amazing clip was made; music: Atmostra III by Cedric Baravaglio, Jonathan Ochmann and Zdravko Djordjevic].