Succession is a Standard Operating Procedure for Change: Both in Forests and in Life
Credit: Woodland Fish & Wildlife
Walking through the forest at Point Defiance Park, you experience the forest around you as a cohesive system made up of many individual parts. Firs, cedars, madrones, maples, huckleberries, ferns, lichens, mosses, and fungi all exist in chaotic harmony, perfectly suited to the part they play in the health and well-being of the forest. Together, it all works. Together, it’s beautiful.
Point Defiance is a climax community, meaning that the ecosystem of the forest has reached a stable equilibrium. If all goes well and the forest is undisturbed, it will continue to look essentially the same as it does today. Saplings will grow, some trees will die, shrubs will spread wider, moss will thicken, the ferns will unfurl again next year. Growth and change will continue to happen, but in a gradual, predictable manner.
But what if Point Defiance does get disturbed through an event like a volcanic eruption or a massively destructive wildfire? What if the forest needs to start from scratch all over again?
The answer is that life slowly begins to come back, but it looks nothing like what it did before. The first new inhabitants of the land look very different from its previous occupants. These are called pioneer species. A way to think about pioneer species is that they perform the essential prep work for making the forest livable again. Examples of pioneer species are grasses and plants like fireweed--they grow rapidly in the presence of sunlight and reproduce quickly. In this time, some seeds left behind after the disturbance may also begin to grow.
Secondary species take their cues from the establishments of the pioneer species. They benefit from enough sunlight that they can grow around and above the pioneer species, in time shading them out (not enough light hits the ground). Secondary species are often shrubs and tree seedlings of species like alder, which grows fast and has a shorter life span than most native conifers. This part in the cycle of regeneration is also one of the most intense--here, many species of various types are competing for the most resources for survival.
Sunset through a stand of young trees near Pack Forest. Credit: Abi Vanover
Lastly, with conditions primed for their return, are the plants of the climax community. These plants are the ones that were also best suited for the level of shade and light available in the secondary forest, and who were able to outgrow (and in turn out-shade) the plants of the secondary forest. However, they could not have begun the process of regeneration without the groundwork laid by the previous plant communities. In Western Washington, our climax forests are usually a mixture of big leaf maple, Western hemlock, and Douglas fir with some ferns, lichens, and mosses adding texture and layers to the forest.
This movement of one community to another is the process of forest succession. Succession isn’t only a concept for forests and ecosystems though. Succession also happens within organizations. It’s a natural change and a sign that the organization is continuing to grow and evolve.
Founder and Executive Director Sarah Low at Green Tacoma Day 2019 -- looking ready to plant some trees! Credit: Hannah Letinich
Tacoma Tree Foundation itself is changing. Our pioneering Founder and Executive Director Sarah Low, who established Tacoma Tree Foundation in 2018, will be stepping down next month. Sarah created TTF to fill the need she saw for a community-oriented greening and advocacy organization in Tacoma, as a way to empower residents to help create a healthier, more livable city. The seeds of TTF’s impact were nurtured during her leadership, driven in no small part by her personal connection to many of you reading this piece. Sarah steered TTF’s creation into an impact-making organization, and built from scratch many of the connections that sustain our work. However, the next stage of our growth will happen under the leadership of Lowell Wyse, professor, author, and tree enthusiast.
This transition is one that marks a natural maturation of TTF, as we step into a new stage of our life as an organization. TTF will remain committed to its core principles and values, while continuing to expand our impact in the Greater Tacoma area.
Please continue below to read Sarah Low’s farewell letter:
I am excited to announce that we are in a big moment at Tacoma Tree Foundation. Despite the challenges of keeping an organization afloat during a pandemic, which was and continues to be rigorous work, we were able to provide opportunities for people to participate, plant, and learn. After a year and a half of creative pivoting and new learning (check out our YouTube Channel and our Nature Explorers Program), we have a solid plan of work (check out our calendar for upcoming events), an awesome team, a strong sense of purpose, and a supportive network. Most recently, we had our first ever Silent Auction, which was a huge success. Many thanks to everyone who participated in one way or another.
After growing this organization (pardon the pun, it is unavoidable) for the past three years, I have decided that it is time for me to step aside to focus on other endeavors, like re-establishing my consulting firm, Strategic Nature, LLC. I am able to make this shift because the organization has grown into a more stable and secure organization, thanks in large part to all the people who are supporting us and partnering with us. It feels truly special to create something that has enough sticking power and enough people who care about it that it can be confidently passed on to others.
When I started Tacoma Tree Foundation, I hoped to create an organization that could help community members plant trees. Planting trees is an act of hope for the future, an agreement between the planter, the tree, and the place. I believe that when we plant trees together we are building relationships, strengthening our communities, and creating a shared hope for the future. The trees that we share are not free, they are an investment in community and in the future. I have seen how these new relationships can help neighbors organize to solve other problems, feel more connected to their neighborhood, and have fun.
That said, while we are busy planting trees, trees are also being cut down… everywhere! Some for good reasons, like roots growing into pipes or home foundations or trees being diseased or aging. Others are cut because they are, essentially, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Others still are cut to accommodate new development like warehouses or manufacturing facilities--both types of land use where replanting requirements are not as rigorous. I worry about the swiftness by which trees are being cut down, as if all the rain, soil, sunlight, and care that made it possible for that tree to exist are inconsequential.
Change is inevitable, as my departure from this organization confirms. However, when the opportunity to pause is available, we should take it. We should consider alternatives. Few things in life need to be all or nothing. More often than not, there are intermediate courses of action to take.
One of my favorite stories is about the tulip poplar on K St. It was slated for removal only because it was simpler to cut it down during a construction project than to work around it. Luckily, the tree is still there in part because community members stepped up and in part because there were design alternatives. Now, the intersection is calm and easy to navigate, and this terrific tulip poplar continues to share all the benefits it has to offer.
I have been involved in the planting and/or coordination of something like 28,000 trees in the last 20 years, and I know from experience that it is easier to plant a tree than to grow one. Caring for trees is a way to keep good on the agreement that we make when we plant a tree. When we give trees loving attention, we become attached, and we might pause to consider other options. Caring for our shared future and our shared environment is a team effort and we invite you to continue to be part of that.
I am excited for the future of Tacoma Tree Foundation. Our Assistant Director, Lowell Wyse, will step in as Executive Director starting October 4th. Lowell is passionate about trees and Tacoma. Prior to his time living and teaching in Peru, Lowell organized the Tacoma Needs Trees effort that gathered many tree enthusiasts together and made the case that community members cared about trees in Tacoma. It is because Tacoma Needs Trees existed that Tacoma Tree Foundation came to be. You will hear more from Lowell in upcoming months, but in the meantime, you can learn more about him by watching his webinar on our YouTube channel.
I know that Lowell and the whole team at Tacoma Tree Foundation will carry the organization’s mission forward and will continue to strengthen the organization. I hope you will join me in supporting Tacoma Tree Foundation as we continue to grow a greener, healthier, and more connected Tacoma.
With love,
Sarah C. Low, Founder of Tacoma Tree Foundation
LinkedIn: Sarah Low | LinkedIn
Website: www.strategicnature.com