In 1902, Professor Bernhard Fernow, who was later called the
"father of professional forestry in the United States" had the
follwing to say about forests:
„The first and foremost purpose of a forest growth is to
supply us with wood material; it is the substance of the trees itself, not
their fruits, their beauty, their shade, their shelter, that constitutes the
primary object.“
About 2300 years earlier, the Buddha had made this
statement:
"The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited
kindness and benevolence that makes no demand for its sustenance and extends
generously the products of its life activity; it affords protection to all
beings, offering shade even to the axeman who would destroy it."
Many thanks to Ranil Senanayake in whose once again
beautifully written online article Forests: BeyondThe Wood I I first came across these two quotes.
