I have always loved forestry. I love the woods. I love the forests. I love the trees. When I was a teenager I worked for the Wisconsin Conservation Department as a person who would go to the various high schools and show moving pictures on the beauty of Wisconsin’s forests and excite people to fall in love with the woodlands of Wisconsin therein desiring to preserve them.

I was fortified with fine films, slides and pieces of wood representing all of the primary forest trees of Wisconsin. I went to a class for docents who taught this philosophy throughout the schools in Wauwatosa and Milwaukee Wisconsin. It was loads of fun. It was an ego builder too. It gave me my first opportunity to speak publicly and somewhat professionally. For at the department they had those people trained in teaching docents how to go out and tell about the state’s forests.

While I was not a college or university teacher or lecturer or one who leads guided tours through museums, my film and slide shows were my museums, my Forestry Hall Of Fame. I had lots of fun. I presented the programs for myself and for my pleasure and for my fullest enjoyment. It was a manner of performing before the public which has remained with me all of my life.

My gardener here on the University of Healing campus told me I must not water my pine trees too much, they would come to ill if I did. So, with minimum water, I watched tree after tree wither away and being removed. Then I listened within and heard: The trees in the Wisconsin forests are deluged with heaven sent rains which wash their needles and nourish their roots. Sometimes this happens often and abundantly and other times not so much. In seasons of drought the rings on the trunk of the tree were tight together. During opulent weather seasons the tree rings were healthy and vigorous.

So I set up a routine to daily or at least every other day fill a retaining basis at the base of each pine tree with water to three inches deep and sprinkle the water over the needles allowing them to bathe in the glorious freshness of the water.

Smile, after listening within to my divine self, my trees are verdant and glorious to look at. Even those singing their swan song are hanging in there with a few needles still green and lots of my blessings.

Listening to the divine within brings wonderful results and I am so glad I did.

-Dr Herbert L Beierle