The Expert scarcely paused. He looked at his watch. Then he grinned at his companion. Their hurried approach had sent a flock of finches exploding into the air. Neither man noticed. The Expert’s eyes flicked briefly over the old pine. He didn’t see the squirrel in the pool of shade at his feet. He didn’t see the chipmunk on the branch above his head. He saw only twisted limbs and brown needles. He turned back to his companion. “What good is a dead tree?” the Expert joked. Both men laughed. It was a rhetorical question. “Just go in there and rip it out,” the Expert said. “Put in something pretty.” His companion nodded. They moved on.

“What good is a dead tree?” The Expert was sure he knew the answer. He was wrong, of course. A pair of young jays tried to set him straight. But the Expert wasn’t in a listening mood. He sprinted away, his chubby companion struggling to keep up. Time is money, after all. And Experts don’t come cheap.

 
How true. Now here’s another way to count the cost:

 

 
These jays are siblings. They’re sheltering in the dying pines on a chilly day, soaking up the sun while avoiding the wind. They’re joined by a warbler:

 

 
I think he’s a Nashville warbler in transition to fall plumage, but can’t be sure. No matter, he’s hunting insects among the branches of the pine, and he’s finding them. The jays and warblers are only a few of the birds who frequent the pines. Here are others:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Red-breasted and white-breasted nuthatches, hairy and downy woodpeckers, rose-breasted and pine grosbeaks, black capped chickadees, common redpolls, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers are only a sampling of the regular visitors to the dying pines. This chipmunk enjoys climbing to the tops of the trees:

 

 
He’s filled his cheeks and needs a bath, and the branches provide a safe, convenient spot to enjoy a few moments while washing up. This red squirrel spends time in the tree, as well:

 

 
He mines the cones for food. Someone else who takes sustenance from the pines is this shrew:

 

 
Normally he lives below ground, but comes up to drink at a water dish before returning to his subterranean duties.

 
Why do all these birds and animals come to the dead tree? For shelter, to hunt for insects on and in the tree, to eat food brought from somewhere else, and to escape from predators. Other animals (like the shrew) and insects (like millipedes) patrol the root systems and break down dead organic material, which in turn helps rejuvenate the soil.

 

 
If left alone, dead trees continue to provide life. Insects are attracted to the tree, and these draw the birds. Animals make nests inside woodpecker holes, and weave nests among the tree’s limbs. When the tree finally falls and rots, it returns its vital nutrients to the soil and often sprouts saplings from its roots. If the tree falls into water—in a wetland, say—it provides a different kind of shelter, this time for turtles, frogs, and other aquatic animals. As it breaks down, its nutrients are consumed by even smaller organisms and finally redistributed to the earth.

 

 
So you see, a dead tree isn’t dead at all. In the midst of death we are in life. Remember that the next time you look at a dying tree and are moved to ask, “What good is a dead tree?”

 

 
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