Education is a very broad term covering a myriad of lessons and experiences. After formal courses in the Faculty of Forestry, U of T, and working and living in my profession in Canada and third world countries of Asia, Africa, Central and South America, I was given a basic course in Forestry which helped pull it all together. This was a simple story told at a seminar / workshop on Community Forestry in Kananaskas, Alberta.

The monarch of a small forested kingdom felt the resources of his domain were not serving his subjects as they should. He felt he should be able to develop his resources to better benefit his subjects. In response to enquiries, his advisors named three wise men who were duly entrusted with preparation of a plan of action.

After considering and working on the problem the first returned to the council chambers loaded down with ledgers and maps. He had prepared a comprehensive timber resource plan. It included logging roads, landing sites for sawlogs, pulp bolts, veneer logs, posts and poles, etc. The plan also suggested sites for processing plants to manufacture each of the products. The king expressed his appreciation then noted the designer's services would no longer be required.

The second wise man showed up somewhat later, complete with maps, sketches, road layouts, etc. as part of a comprehensive recreational plan. Roads were designed to provide access to rivers, lakes, picnic sites and camping locations. Walking trails were indicated throughout the area. Again the king thanked the planner for a job well done then noted his services would no longer be required.

Eventually the third wise man arrived, but without any documentation. When the king asked what he should do with his resource lands, he replied "It is not up to me to tell you what you should do with your forest lands. But if you would tell me what it is you want in order to contribute to the life of your subjects I can then advise you how you can best achieve your goals."

I have reached a stage in my life where I find myself wearing 2 hats. The first is a crown. My realm is 10 acres in Adjala Twp., just north of the Oak Ridges Moraine. I must decide how to develop the resources to best meet the needs of my family (myself included).

The second is my thinking cap, representing the third wise man. What purposes for forest trees can best serve 'my' people, i.e. my neighbours, those in local rural and urban communities as well as global? How can I best devote my time and energy to help meet their goals, or at least provide a model for others to consider?

Over the past 20 years I have been converting my 10 acres, a little corner of the community, from dry, sandy, marginal farmland to a treed property. A retirement hobby has been growing trees in pots, a fund-raising project for the women's shelter, "My Sisters' Place", in Alliston. The project, "Trees for Shelter" (Support for the Alliston shelter and eventually shelter around the homes of people in the community.)

My roll is not to decide what clients should do with their properties. They must decide why they want trees, what purpose they should serve. Will they become Christmas trees? Will they serve aesthetic purposes, adding beauty around the home? As shelterbelts will they provide protection from winter storms? Noise and/or dust barriers from road traffic? A small contribution to the global problem of climate change? Reduced energy costs through provision of shade and/or reduced heat loss? Water conservation? A healthy, peaceful environment?

Like the third wise man I can provide advice and resources for others to achieve their goals, whatever their goals might be. It is not my responsibility to save the world, but it is up to me to use what I've been taught to contribute to the overall picture, one tree at a time. A valuable lesson from a simple story. Isn't that what education is all about?