| Dedication
of the Bruce Kershner Tree |
Robert
Leverett |
| May
18, 2007 10:56 PDT |
ENTS,
Tomorrow, a small group of us will meet at
Mohawk Trail State Forest
(MTSF) in western Massachusetts and dedicate a beautiful white
pine in
memory of Bruce Kershner. Bruce's family will be present. A
plague will
be placed in front of Bruce's tree commemorating Bruce's role in
this
life. Permission was obtained from the park.
Before his passing, Bruce had asked me if I
would choose a tree for
him in MTSF that his family could visit. Of course, there was no
question about fulfilling Bruce's request. It has been my
immense
privilege and honor to serve my dear friend in this way. Bruce's
tree
will be a living symbol of his great love of and devotion to the
natural
world and to his unexcelled work in saving eastern old growth
forests.
Bruce wanted a tree chosen for him in an out
of the way place where
his eternal spirit, once released from a body that was fast
failing him,
could visit. I can think of no greater purpose to be served by
the
beautiful Mohawk pine than to provide respite for Bruce's
wandering
spirit.
Jani Leverett, Colby Rucker, and Bruce Kershner are 3
magnificent
Ents who gave their all for the causes they served. Each focused
his/her
energies in different areas, but all made lasting impacts. In
honoring
one, we will honor and remember all. Jani Leverett has a shrine
in MTSF
and a splendid pine dedicated by the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts.
Colby has a pine in the ENTS grove. And now Bruce has a pine in
a
secluded corner of Mohawk. Higher on the ridge, the Joseph Brant
Pine is
located. Brant was a fierce Mohawk from near what is current day
Albany
New York who fought to retain the lands of his people. The great
Brant
Pine will stand vigilant watch over Bruce's tree. Brant would
have
approved of Bruce's mission and work.
The ridge on which Bruce's beautiful pine
grows hosts other celebrity
pines. Chief Arvol Looking Horse, perhaps the most famous Lakota
in the
world, alive today, once asked me if I would dedicate a tree in
MTSF to
Crazy Horse, the great Sioux war chief who dispatched Custer. I
did so
in compliance with Arvol's wish. The tree is located in the
Elders Grove
in MTSF. After the dedication tomorrow, I plan to return to the
Elders
Grove and renew my ties to the memories of Native elders honored
in the
grove and seek their help in watching over Bruce's tree.
Bob
Robert T. Leverett
Cofounder, Eastern Native Tree Society
|
| Sat
and Sun |
Robert
Leverett |
| May
21, 2007 08:19 PDT |
ENTS,
SATURDAY
BRUCE’S CEREMONY:
On Saturday afternoon, we
dedicated Bruce Kershner's tree in a
moving private ceremony in MTSF. Eight of Bruce's family members
were
there. Fellow Ent and great friend Howard Stoner from the New
York ENTS
contingent joined us. Bruce’s family was most appreciative of
the
dedication. Finding Bruce's tree requires a precise knowledge of
the
local terrain, so I'll likely be leading family members to the
tree in
the future until they become comfortable with the way to get to
the
tree. We will not be marking a path.
Bruce's tree was formerly called
the Northern Sentinel. It is the
northern most of Mohawk's 150s and until Saturday was the last
of the
150s to be confirmed. Beyond the information given above, I will
honor
the privacy of the ceremony for Bruce and conclude by saying, my
participation was a singular honor.
Bob Leverett
(Full
post)
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