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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Snow accumulating on mountain passes Snow expected on valley floor Monday Missing girl's family, friends, want more info from police Valley floor could see snow this week Education In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Walker students show creative chops at Invention Convention Teacher's Tips: Second — and third — chances are there for students For a friend: AHS seniors team up to help former fellow student Ashland builds a bridge across the STEM gap Environment New TAP pumps bolster Ashland's options Most residents speak against gas pipeline proposed for Southern Oregon Home Help: Make your new house feel like home ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Business Looking for crown's halo Silvio Calabi: GLA250 is a Merc for the masses Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition The Playwright pub will be serving again Saturday Mt. 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Our View: Embracing downtown's future Our View: Good news this week The vaccination deniers Other Views: Hunting helps the economy Letters Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 23 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 17 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 16 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 11 Guest opinions Herb Rothschild Jr.: New Year resolutions Herb Rothschild Jr.: The role of charity Guest Opinion: Vaccination editorial was disrespectful Guest Opinion: Zionism is not the problem Herb Rothschild Jr.: The Christmas spirit Revels Latest Stories 4 Things to do This Week Community blog: Resolutions for writers SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party 4 Things to do this Weekend Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Theater ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Putting the music into 'A Christmas Carol' Meet the real Jacob Marley Music Rating old-timers’ albums from 2014 SOU presents all-percussion concert Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Ed Symkus: My top 15 films of 2014 Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Walk this 'Wild' way, and observe Movie review: ‘Into the Woods’ is dark and deep Movie review: This ‘Museum’ entry should be closed to the public Food and Drink Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Family Time: Your teen’s loud music could be permanently damaging their hearing Marketta Gregory: Measure a year Community Blog: There Is Only One Religion Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready ... Ashland Calendar ... Snow expected on valley floor Monday ... In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready ... Ashland Calendar ... Snow expected on valley floor Monday ... THE WILD SIDE The Christmas tree and the trees around us Comment By Joseph Vaile for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joseph Vaile for the Tidings Posted Dec. 23, 2014 @ 4:55 pm By Joseph Vaile for the Tidings Posted Dec. 23, 2014 @ 4:55 pm » Social News We almost avoided getting a Christmas tree this year. This season is different — there is a baby crawling all around the house. In fact, our discussions centered on not getting a tree at all. I didn’t want to be another statistic — the dad whose Christmas tree fell on the baby. Or maybe the baby would eat a glass ornament or one of those tiny little lightbulbs. The whole thing worried me. As a self-proclaimed tree hugger — one who likes cutting a few here and there — I must admit that I have a soft spot for the smell and the tradition of cohabitating with an indoor conifer tree. For the good part of December, the house is inevitably treeless. But just like clockwork, about a week before Christmas, my wife and I finally get our tree. I’m somewhat of a purist though. I’ve shunned plastic trees my entire life, and I stay away from the “tree lot.” One year we bought one of those live trees from the Ashland Co-op — the one you’re supposed to plant afterwards in your backyard. It turns out winter is not a good time to plant trees. The next year we were running out of options, so I cut the saddest little volunteer incense cedar from our back yard. It was a Charlie Brown Christmas. Debating whether we should get a tree this year led me to figure out where the idea of a tree for Christmas came from. The Christmas tree has a long tradition. First called a Yule Tree, it was originally a pagan tradition. Nordic cultures celebrated Winter Solstice — the shortest day of the year — by bringing an evergreen into their homes to ward off evil spirits. What a bonus! Not only can my house smell good, but I now have something to ward off evil spirits. The German’s really popularized the Christmas tree and German Americans brought the tradition to the U.S. While many of us bring in firs and spruces from tree farms into our homes during the holidays, you should be aware that the Klamath-Siskiyou is the Land of the Conifer. Having an indoor evergreen tree reminds me of why I’m so enamored with this region. It’s not that we have a lot of conifers, but it’s that we have a lot of different kinds of conifers. In fact, in this region we have more conifer tree species than any other place on the planet! By most counts we have 36 different conifers here. We have common conifers like Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine, but we also have very rare and marvelous species like Brewers spruce and Port Orford cedar. I love searching for these rare trees on hikes and finding the most amazing, ancient forest stands filled with variety of trees not seen anywhere else. There’s even a trail in the Russian Wilderness of Northern California that has 19 different conifer trees in just a matter of one mile. I am often asked why we have so many conifers. The past tells us much about what made it possible. Over geologic time, the Klamath-Siskiyou was spared extensive glaciation and served as a refuge for species driven out of other regions. The geographic position of this region in between the moist Pacific Northwest forests, the more arid Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada allows species migration over time. Seeing the decked out trees around town, I was again pulled to carry on the tradition. A week-and-a-half until Christmas, I spotted it. Right under my nose it was sitting in front of the KS Wild office — a small Incense cedar tree grown by the great folks over at Plant Oregon. The tree sits about 3 feet tall but stands at 4 feet because it is a living tree. I brought it home and my 3-year-old shrieked with delight. It was taller than him, but not by much. He decorated the entire thing himself and was so proud. So far, the tree is still standing, and the baby has not eaten any lights ... and once again the sights and smells of a Siskiyou conifer are in our living room. I think there is something primal in us that is served by bringing a small piece of nature inside. Maybe living with a tree for a few weeks brings us a little closer to nature and helps us appreciate what nature offers to us — the clean air, clean water and wonderful recreation in our local forests. At least I hope so. Joseph Vaile is executive director of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (KS Wild, 541-488-5789, www.kswild.org). His Wild Side column appears every three weeks. By Joseph Vaile for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joseph Vaile for the Tidings Posted Dec. 23, 2014 @ 4:55 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. 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