Homage to the Oaks

The Spring Equinox issue of Cloud Women’s Quarterly Journal includes diverse pieces of writing inspired by the Oaks and written by some of the women who are working to raise awareness of the plight of the Oaks in France and elsewhere.


Read: An Oak Invitation by Onaway Zaltana
Read: Save The Elder Oaks — Tree Sitting With Shelly Denny By Odilia Galván Rodríguez
Read: The Last of the Keystone Species Exhibit by Kristin Flyntz

oak in field with bright sunlight

How Could Anyone

Dedicated to the slain Oaks in France.
Words and music by Libby Roderick

(c) Libby Roderick Music 1988 Used by permission. All rights reserved.
From the recording "How Could Anyone"
Turtle Island Records www.libbyroderick.com
907-278-6817 libbyroderick@gmail.com

autum oak leaves

Eco Justice and Notre Dame Cathedral: An Urgent Call to Resist

Matthew Fox, the internationally acclaimed spiritual theologian, Episcopal priest, and activist writes, "moral blindness in the context of catastrophic climate change will diminish the few remaining European forests." Don't miss Matthew Fox's brief video message at the end of his Meditation.

Large ancient oak tree bathed in light surrounded by a lush, green forest

Before The Sap Rises

“The trees must be straight, 50-90cm (20-36in) in diameter and between 8 and 14 metres tall. They must be chopped down by the end of March before the sap rises, otherwise the wood will be too humid. Before being cut into beams, the trunks will be allowed to dry for up to 18 months.”

large oak tree trunk base with red autumn leaves

The Cathedral’s Roof Contained So Many Wooden Beams It Was Called "La Forêt" (The Forest).

"Carpentry experts say rebuilding Notre Dame as it was will take 2,000 cubic metres of wood, requiring about 1,500 Oaks to be cut down. The cathedral’s roof contained so many wooden beams it was called la forêt (the forest). The roof’s support included 25 triangular structures 10 metres high and 14 metres across at the base, placed over the stone vaults of the nave."

View of the side of Notre Dame cathedral on a sunny day.  Notre Dame looks large and imposing, filling the whole image.