Symbiosis, the coexistence of life, the entwinement of existence. Everywhere in the world, examples of harmony between plants, animals, and earth can be found in the largest and smallest of places. Small birds rest on horses, pecking away small bugs and flies. Coralroot grows on the roots of trees, providing nutrients and taking what it needs. Worms weave tunnels through soil, decomposing matter and giving back its nourishing feces. Coral in the ocean provides shelter and food for animals, while dead matter provides it nutrients it needs to grow. Everything in nature is connected, and this blog posts celebrates and honours the interconnectedness of things around us.
Two different types of mushrooms coexist together on decaying wood, an intricate relationship that is neither a battle nor a competition. Copyright Hazel Peel-Hodgson, 2021Mushrooms speed up the decaying process, allowing wood and earth to decompose at a faster rate to provide more nutrients to the forest floor. It also enables the mushroom a home and a place to spread its spores. Copyright Hazel Peel-Hodgson, 2021Stonecrop, yarrow, and lichen all peacefully growing together. Copyright Hazel Peel-Hodgson, 2021Tiny bugs rest in the gills of this mushroom, gaining a home and nutrients from it, while the mushroom benefits from their decayed matter as they die. Copyright Hazel Peel-Hodgson, 2021Flowers growing in the crevice of a rock, slowly breaking it down into manageable nutrients. Copyright Hazel Peel-Hodgson, 2021Potentially harmful plants, such as stinging nettle (above), often grow near their antidotes. Plaintain can be found near stinging nettle, and can be chewed into a poultice to apply to nettle stings. Copyright Hazel Peel-Hodgson, 2021Symbiosis – the peace between different worlds. Perhaps we could learn something from it. Copyright Hazel Peel-Hodgson, 2021
4 thoughts on “Symbiosis”
Love these photos!
Nia and I saw the same puffy mushroom at the Bird Sanctuary the other day! She would love to join you on your next photoshoot.
Love these photos!
Nia and I saw the same puffy mushroom at the Bird Sanctuary the other day! She would love to join you on your next photoshoot.
Thank you! Sending you and Nia a big hug.
You will likely resonate with the website “Ways of Enlichenment” (waysofenlichenment.net).
Thank you!