October 17, 2025 • 14 mins
Zhou wrote an article about her learnings from the redwoods forests. This is a recording of the article. Zhou recorded this special reading shortly after writing the article.
Key takeaways:
Learning 1: The Redwoods Live and Breathe Interconnectedness and Intersectionality.
Learning 2: The Redwoods are Living Examples of the Abundance Mindset.
Learning 3: The Redwoods Are Spiritual Teachers.
Learning 4: The Redwoods are Timeless.
"The redwoods are interdependent, interconnected, living in abundance, whispering magic, spreading wisdom in silence, and unfazed by time.
So are we humans, I hope." - Zhou Fang
To read the article: https://www.intersectional.group/blog
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hi, this is a special monologue of me reading an article I
recently wrote about my learnings from the redwoods.
I wanted to record it because I thought while some folks like to
read an article, perhaps some folks want to listen to it
(00:28):
'cause we are all different whenit comes to learning.
So I decided to read the articleout loud and let it become part
of the You know, the Intersection archive.
So here I go, I'm am going to read these article about the
redwoods that I just wrote. The article is titled Practicing
(00:54):
Intersectionality and the Abundance Mindset in the
Redwoods with a subtitle The Redwoods offer us multi
dimensional perspectives and wisdom on the ecosystem, society
and spirituality. And quick note, the redwoods
mentioned in this article or in this monologue are coast
(01:19):
redwoods, not giant Sequoia. So here I go, the main body of
the article. In summer 2025, after years of
aspiring, I finally had the opportunity to pay the coast
redwoods a proper visit in the form of road trip and camping
(01:43):
with my partner, which allowed me to have in depth and
expensive interactions and exchanges with the teachers and
Wizards that the redwoods are. Before going into the learnings,
I want to offer some historical context about the redwoods to
set the stage. The coast redwoods forest had
(02:06):
lived mostly uninterruptedly foron over 1,000,000 acres for
millennia. Indigenous nations like the
Yurok, Tolova, and Camihuivi lived in harmony with the trees.
They used fallen wood for canoesand lodges, and they managed the
(02:28):
land with cultural burns that benefited the ecosystem.
As the California Gold Rush in 1849 hit, everything changed.
Suddenly, the forests were treated as an inexhaustible
resource and were cut down for lumber.
No one heard a tree silent scream and weep.
(02:49):
By the early 20 century, or in ablink of an eye compared to the
ages of these gentle giants, 95%of the original old growth
redwoods had been logged. The scale of the destruction was
nearly unfathomable. Finally, in 1918, the Save the
(03:09):
Redwoods League was founded. The organization aggressively
purchased land from logging companies and created parks to
protect the woods. These parks are now are today
known as Redwood National and State Parks, where visitors like
me go experience, appreciate andlearn from the coast to
(03:31):
redwoods. Now here goes the learnings
learning #1 the redwoods live and breathe interconnectedness
and intersectionality. During our visit, I learned that
coast redwoods don't have deep roots.
Rather, their shallow roots spared wide and intertwined with
(03:54):
the roots of their neighbors. At first, these facts seemed
unbelievable to me, but they arethe tallest trees on earth.
How can they survive with shallow roots?
As we walked in the woods, seeing the trees with my own
eyes, I understood. You can see how the roots are
(04:15):
connected with each other on theforest floor, where they
sometimes are exposed. It is as if they're holding
hand. These connections are further
strengthened by an underground network of micro Microsoft
fungi. Through this network, redwoods
(04:35):
share resources and warnings as if they're talking in silence.
Under the vast canopy, an ecosystem of mature trees, young
trees, ferns, mosses, lesions, and other trees, as well as
insects, salamanders, and mammals, live independently and
(04:57):
interconnectedly In Sync. Redwoods don't live in solitude,
and they can't. The forests form a safe
ecosystem for the giants, plants, and animals to live,
thrive, die, reproduce, and regenerate.
Even the fallen woods play a critical role in keeping the
(05:19):
forest alive. They provide a moist and
nutrient rich bed for their seedlings to grow on.
The interconnectedness and intersectionality of the
coastward redwoods not only exist in space, but also in
time. Now I ask our dear readers and
(05:41):
listeners, imagine if our society can function as a
collective and a collaboration. Imagine how much headache and
heartbreak can be averted. Learning #2 The red words are
living examples of the abundancemindset.
First, let's understand abundance in the capitalistic
(06:05):
world. For many, abundance means more
and then even more. It promotes insatiable greed,
desire, and hedonism. Here and throughout our work.
Abundance means enough and etiquette.
The abundance mindset in our practice means daily enough for
(06:26):
everyone. One's gain is not another's
loss. And as someone who enjoys pies,
I say there's more than one pie.In fact, there are pies for
everyone. The redwoods provide enough for
everyone in the ecosystem. No more, no less.
(06:47):
Just enough. Just etiquette.
The forests don't hoard resources either.
A young tree needs support. The network sends signals, and
the young tree receives nutrients from the nurses and
aunties. The ferns and animals need
water. The redwoods drip water from the
fog they capture throughout the day to keep every living thing
(07:11):
watered and moisturized. The seedlings need nutrients.
The following woods generously provide everything they need to
nurse the next generation. The forest don't ask for more,
and they never will. The ecosystem produces, shares,
recycles, returns, and nurtures.Voila, abundance.
(07:36):
Now, dear readers and listeners,imagine if our society can
operate on the abundance mindset.
Imagine how much fear and scarcity can be dissolved.
Learning #3 The redwoods are spiritual teachers.
(07:56):
A quick note here, spiritual teachers are not religious
teachers. While the practice of religion
can be spiritual, the practice of spirituality doesn't need to
be religious. Before our visit with the
redwoods, my partner and severalfriends mentioned, Oh, the
redwoods are so magical to me. I was intrigued and curious, but
(08:21):
I didn't quite understand the how.
Oh boy, did I understand that right away.
As we walked in the forest, the whole world seemed to quiet
them, slow down, and at times become quite still.
The leaves of the redwoods, On the contrary to the size of the
bodies of the trees, are small, but they are widespread and
(08:45):
tightly connected with each other.
It creates a special visual effects as you look up to the
canopy, they look like twinklingstars.
Most of our walks and hikes in the Redwood forests were in the
afternoon, which means the sun was moving West and shining to
the east, which is where the coast redwoods are.
(09:09):
The gentle sunshine traveling through the small leaves created
this visual experience that was almost a trick.
The leaves were blinking at me accompanied by gentle breeze.
It felt as if the leaves are whispering.
But what did they say? That really is up to each
(09:30):
visitor. One of the famous redwoods we
visited was the Corkscrew, a giant curious Redwood that has
no record of its age. Looking at it, observing the
size, I would say it has been inthe forest for probably 1000
plus years. Why Corkscrew?
(09:51):
Unlike most coast redwoods that are tall and straight, Corkscrew
is tall and twisted. From the main side that faces
the hiker's path, it looks as ifsomeone twisted the body of the
tree and it goes upward in a spiral from the backside where
you can do a 330° walk around it.
(10:13):
However, it looks like a Casa that welcomes everyone who
decides to be led by curiosity and visit the back of the tree.
Why do I say that? The backside of the Corkscrew is
open, It has a door. It has a step up towards the
living room where a much youngertree lives in the heart of the
(10:38):
Corkscrew. I couldn't believe it as I took
the step and entered the tree through the door, being greeted
by the space and the tree inside.
No words exchanged yet. Everything was sad as it
happened. The sunlight was shedding right
at the young tree and me as I was hugging it without
(11:01):
explanation. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
No sadness, but a profound compound of surrender, relief,
grief, joy and peace. I will come back and see you,
was what I said as I exited the Casa of the Corkscrew.
(11:22):
I don't advocate or preach for spirituality.
It is not for everyone, and it shouldn't be sold or pitched as
some kind of commodity in the forest.
However, if we have an open heart that does not prepare for
anything but also is ready for everything, we may just
encounter magic. Now, my dear readers and
(11:47):
listeners, imagine if our society believed in magic and
profound wisdom. Imagine how many children and
adults would thrive from their own gifts and magic learning #4
the redwoods are timeless. It is believed that coast
(12:07):
redwoods may eventually die off and become extinct due to
climate change and drought, likeless foggy days and higher
temperatures, catastrophic wildfires, and habitat
fragmentation. Do we have an opportunity to
save the redwoods? Maybe.
What if the redwoods really are gone someday?
(12:29):
While they will then become our ancestors, just as the fallen
woods were, the redwoods have witnessed time and space and
everything that's happened in time and space in millennia.
Even when they are gone, their memory and wisdom will likely
stay in the coast, in the soil, in the other trees and plants,
(12:51):
in the animals and in the mountains.
Time in the forests is not linear.
As the ecosystem grows, the new,nurtures the young, supports the
mature, and renews the dead. The Redwood forests are a world
that preserves time and history,and history is never complete
(13:14):
without humanity. As we walk through the growth, I
realize that these forests are guardians and masters of the
past, the present, and the future.
Perhaps you were the members of the indigenous nations.
Perhaps you were the ones who cut down the old trees.
(13:35):
Perhaps you were the ones who woke up from this deforestation
nightmare and vowed to change it.
Perhaps, like me, you were a student who happens to be
humbled and schooled by these giants.
The thing is, we were all here at some point, and we are in
these forests together. The rare words are
(13:58):
interdependent, interconnected, living in abundance, whispering
magic, spreading wisdom in silence and unfazed by time.
As are we humans. I hope with humility and hope.
And I'm your host, Zhoufang. Thank you for listening and take
(14:22):
care.
Hi, this is a special monologue of me reading an article I
recently wrote about my learnings from the redwoods.
I wanted to record it because I thought while some folks like to
read an article, perhaps some folks want to listen to it
(00:28):
'cause we are all different whenit comes to learning.
So I decided to read the articleout loud and let it become part
of the You know, the Intersection archive.
So here I go, I'm am going to read these article about the
redwoods that I just wrote. The article is titled Practicing
(00:54):
Intersectionality and the Abundance Mindset in the
Redwoods with a subtitle The Redwoods offer us multi
dimensional perspectives and wisdom on the ecosystem, society
and spirituality. And quick note, the redwoods
mentioned in this article or in this monologue are coast
(01:19):
redwoods, not giant Sequoia. So here I go, the main body of
the article. In summer 2025, after years of
aspiring, I finally had the opportunity to pay the coast
redwoods a proper visit in the form of road trip and camping
(01:43):
with my partner, which allowed me to have in depth and
expensive interactions and exchanges with the teachers and
Wizards that the redwoods are. Before going into the learnings,
I want to offer some historical context about the redwoods to
set the stage. The coast redwoods forest had
(02:06):
lived mostly uninterruptedly foron over 1,000,000 acres for
millennia. Indigenous nations like the
Yurok, Tolova, and Camihuivi lived in harmony with the trees.
They used fallen wood for canoesand lodges, and they managed the
(02:28):
land with cultural burns that benefited the ecosystem.
As the California Gold Rush in 1849 hit, everything changed.
Suddenly, the forests were treated as an inexhaustible
resource and were cut down for lumber.
No one heard a tree silent scream and weep.
(02:49):
By the early 20 century, or in ablink of an eye compared to the
ages of these gentle giants, 95%of the original old growth
redwoods had been logged. The scale of the destruction was
nearly unfathomable. Finally, in 1918, the Save the
(03:09):
Redwoods League was founded. The organization aggressively
purchased land from logging companies and created parks to
protect the woods. These parks are now are today
known as Redwood National and State Parks, where visitors like
me go experience, appreciate andlearn from the coast to
(03:31):
redwoods. Now here goes the learnings
learning #1 the redwoods live and breathe interconnectedness
and intersectionality. During our visit, I learned that
coast redwoods don't have deep roots.
Rather, their shallow roots spared wide and intertwined with
(03:54):
the roots of their neighbors. At first, these facts seemed
unbelievable to me, but they arethe tallest trees on earth.
How can they survive with shallow roots?
As we walked in the woods, seeing the trees with my own
eyes, I understood. You can see how the roots are
(04:15):
connected with each other on theforest floor, where they
sometimes are exposed. It is as if they're holding
hand. These connections are further
strengthened by an underground network of micro Microsoft
fungi. Through this network, redwoods
(04:35):
share resources and warnings as if they're talking in silence.
Under the vast canopy, an ecosystem of mature trees, young
trees, ferns, mosses, lesions, and other trees, as well as
insects, salamanders, and mammals, live independently and
(04:57):
interconnectedly In Sync. Redwoods don't live in solitude,
and they can't. The forests form a safe
ecosystem for the giants, plants, and animals to live,
thrive, die, reproduce, and regenerate.
Even the fallen woods play a critical role in keeping the
(05:19):
forest alive. They provide a moist and
nutrient rich bed for their seedlings to grow on.
The interconnectedness and intersectionality of the
coastward redwoods not only exist in space, but also in
time. Now I ask our dear readers and
(05:41):
listeners, imagine if our society can function as a
collective and a collaboration. Imagine how much headache and
heartbreak can be averted. Learning #2 The red words are
living examples of the abundancemindset.
First, let's understand abundance in the capitalistic
(06:05):
world. For many, abundance means more
and then even more. It promotes insatiable greed,
desire, and hedonism. Here and throughout our work.
Abundance means enough and etiquette.
The abundance mindset in our practice means daily enough for
(06:26):
everyone. One's gain is not another's
loss. And as someone who enjoys pies,
I say there's more than one pie.In fact, there are pies for
everyone. The redwoods provide enough for
everyone in the ecosystem. No more, no less.
(06:47):
Just enough. Just etiquette.
The forests don't hoard resources either.
A young tree needs support. The network sends signals, and
the young tree receives nutrients from the nurses and
aunties. The ferns and animals need
water. The redwoods drip water from the
fog they capture throughout the day to keep every living thing
(07:11):
watered and moisturized. The seedlings need nutrients.
The following woods generously provide everything they need to
nurse the next generation. The forest don't ask for more,
and they never will. The ecosystem produces, shares,
recycles, returns, and nurtures.Voila, abundance.
(07:36):
Now, dear readers and listeners,imagine if our society can
operate on the abundance mindset.
Imagine how much fear and scarcity can be dissolved.
Learning #3 The redwoods are spiritual teachers.
(07:56):
A quick note here, spiritual teachers are not religious
teachers. While the practice of religion
can be spiritual, the practice of spirituality doesn't need to
be religious. Before our visit with the
redwoods, my partner and severalfriends mentioned, Oh, the
redwoods are so magical to me. I was intrigued and curious, but
(08:21):
I didn't quite understand the how.
Oh boy, did I understand that right away.
As we walked in the forest, the whole world seemed to quiet
them, slow down, and at times become quite still.
The leaves of the redwoods, On the contrary to the size of the
bodies of the trees, are small, but they are widespread and
(08:45):
tightly connected with each other.
It creates a special visual effects as you look up to the
canopy, they look like twinklingstars.
Most of our walks and hikes in the Redwood forests were in the
afternoon, which means the sun was moving West and shining to
the east, which is where the coast redwoods are.
(09:09):
The gentle sunshine traveling through the small leaves created
this visual experience that was almost a trick.
The leaves were blinking at me accompanied by gentle breeze.
It felt as if the leaves are whispering.
But what did they say? That really is up to each
(09:30):
visitor. One of the famous redwoods we
visited was the Corkscrew, a giant curious Redwood that has
no record of its age. Looking at it, observing the
size, I would say it has been inthe forest for probably 1000
plus years. Why Corkscrew?
(09:51):
Unlike most coast redwoods that are tall and straight, Corkscrew
is tall and twisted. From the main side that faces
the hiker's path, it looks as ifsomeone twisted the body of the
tree and it goes upward in a spiral from the backside where
you can do a 330° walk around it.
(10:13):
However, it looks like a Casa that welcomes everyone who
decides to be led by curiosity and visit the back of the tree.
Why do I say that? The backside of the Corkscrew is
open, It has a door. It has a step up towards the
living room where a much youngertree lives in the heart of the
(10:38):
Corkscrew. I couldn't believe it as I took
the step and entered the tree through the door, being greeted
by the space and the tree inside.
No words exchanged yet. Everything was sad as it
happened. The sunlight was shedding right
at the young tree and me as I was hugging it without
(11:01):
explanation. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
No sadness, but a profound compound of surrender, relief,
grief, joy and peace. I will come back and see you,
was what I said as I exited the Casa of the Corkscrew.
(11:22):
I don't advocate or preach for spirituality.
It is not for everyone, and it shouldn't be sold or pitched as
some kind of commodity in the forest.
However, if we have an open heart that does not prepare for
anything but also is ready for everything, we may just
encounter magic. Now, my dear readers and
(11:47):
listeners, imagine if our society believed in magic and
profound wisdom. Imagine how many children and
adults would thrive from their own gifts and magic learning #4
the redwoods are timeless. It is believed that coast
(12:07):
redwoods may eventually die off and become extinct due to
climate change and drought, likeless foggy days and higher
temperatures, catastrophic wildfires, and habitat
fragmentation. Do we have an opportunity to
save the redwoods? Maybe.
What if the redwoods really are gone someday?
(12:29):
While they will then become our ancestors, just as the fallen
woods were, the redwoods have witnessed time and space and
everything that's happened in time and space in millennia.
Even when they are gone, their memory and wisdom will likely
stay in the coast, in the soil, in the other trees and plants,
(12:51):
in the animals and in the mountains.
Time in the forests is not linear.
As the ecosystem grows, the new,nurtures the young, supports the
mature, and renews the dead. The Redwood forests are a world
that preserves time and history,and history is never complete
(13:14):
without humanity. As we walk through the growth, I
realize that these forests are guardians and masters of the
past, the present, and the future.
Perhaps you were the members of the indigenous nations.
Perhaps you were the ones who cut down the old trees.
(13:35):
Perhaps you were the ones who woke up from this deforestation
nightmare and vowed to change it.
Perhaps, like me, you were a student who happens to be
humbled and schooled by these giants.
The thing is, we were all here at some point, and we are in
these forests together. The rare words are
(13:58):
interdependent, interconnected, living in abundance, whispering
magic, spreading wisdom in silence and unfazed by time.
As are we humans. I hope with humility and hope.
And I'm your host, Zhoufang. Thank you for listening and take
(14:22):
care.
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