What a fine story, Quinta!

I wonder how long one would have to wait for fruit from a date palm.

But, of course, by then scientists will have had their way with this one, Cloning and crossbreeding, etc. Some people consider seeds and plants to be 'property' to be bought and sold, and altered, for the highest profit they can get. Sigh.

I found the fact that this one plant had taken up 'modern' carbon levels very interesting. That's another area the average person is not informed about.

I find myself automatically imagining how this plant/tree would do in our own backyard...what with warming and drying climates and all.

:D

Then again, European trees transplanted to South Africa have done so well that they are destroying the native growth essential to life there. There are teams of workers paid to go out and remove the European varieties. It boggles the mind.

And 26 starlings from England, released in the eastern U.S., have developed into millions. Still, here in southwestern Canada the starlings nipped an outbreak of flying Daddy Longlegs in the bud.

I remember having to sweep up Daddy Longlegs eggs by the panful on our small patio...and we couldn't have a window open unless we didn't mind sleeping with them flying around the room.

Every chemical we release into the atmosphere alters the world, too.

Then there are thousand-year cycles (and probably some much longer), like the accacia trees and elephants...and dung beetles.

An accacia 'forest' in Africa attracts elephants who procede to knock down the trees to get the last nourishment from the tops. Meanwhile, dung beetles roll balls of elephant doo-doo, containing accacia seeds, into their burrows to feed baby dung beetles...effectively planting new accacia trees. When the full-grown accacia are finished, the elephants move on, and a new 'forest' grows.

There are thousands, millions of such cycles at work in this phase of Earth history...whether we notice, or not. We alter them at our own peril.

We, ourselves, are part of cycles we haven't yet imagined...even individually within our own homes and communities. Our every choice and objective changes life on this planet, to a greater or lesser degree.

Amazing!