Devastation of a Dwelling and a Forest
By: Toma Creative
Tags: Nature, Forest, Homeless

Such a sad and concerning discovery that impacts the most vulnerable

This site — a destroyed forest dwelling was a temporary home to a nomadic couple.

Wrote about Dean and his forest dwelling earlier this year.

https://link.medium.com/stBOyi0Exbb

The structure they called home is now totally annihilated and only waste remains — soon to be buried under a blanket of snow.

Maybe you’ve never seen anything like this when you’ve walked along one of the many community trails that weave through forests and along our rivers and lake.

These dwellings are usually deeper in the woods than many people ever go. In with the wildlife and sometimes where our pets may run to and through. Maybe even teens or others that are out exploring.

I’m adventurous, so I come across these sites frequently. The devastation is almost unfathomable and so sad. Each place tells a story of despair and leaves behind countless lurking dangers and contaminants.

It’s not a typical neighbourhood or a lifestyle most of us can relate to, however, coming across this situation evokes a heightened awareness of the numerous detrimental societal and environmental conditions and consequences.

My first thoughts were, are the inhabitants ok and who would do this?

Of course they are not ok. How could they be? They weren’t really ok before this and have now lost what was their makeshift home, most likely escaping with only their lives — and probably facing yet even more uncertainty and fear about the future.

Why did this happen? Where are they now?

One of the probable causes for the destruction of this particular forest dwelling could be that someone was/is angry with them and obviously willing to cause harm.

Is this couple being housed now or are they living in a different forest?

What are they doing to survive?

In our area, many homeless people are now being offered temporary lodging in hotels, from my understanding. While this is an immediate measure that provides a viable short term concession for some (probably at a tremendous cost), not sure it’s sustainable or desirable over the long term — especially since this seems to be a growing concern.

There’s a big problem here!

So, where’s the opportunity?

From my understanding homelessness is on the rise and we may want to consider some other innovative measures to address the impact of those people living in our forests.

For various reasons, some homeless people choose to live in the urban forests and forage to sustain themselves.

Are they inherently drawn to nature for the serenity and primal healing aspects?

Rather than just trying to sustain people with handouts and/or hoping they will somehow change, what if we could encourage and support an enhanced way of life that suits them more specifically — to help eliminate the harm they cause themselves, our society, and the environment.

I believe it’s going to take some compassionate inspiration and collaborative innovation to develop viable solutions to help this oppressed segment of our society to realize their potential for wellness.

How could we help facilitate therapeutic and rejuvenating experiences for them?

Look forward to any insights and plan to write and do more about this challenging opportunity.