The Wisdom of Sequoias
Image description: The author, Cat Fribley, using her mobility device to explore Big Trees Trail at Sequoia National Park. The picture is of her back as she rolls through misty trail among the trees.
This week, I saw the sequoias for the very first time.
I’m visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks with my wife and partner, and yesterday we explored the Big Trees Trail together, nearly 7,000 feet above sea level in a forest of giants. A misty fog rolled in as storms descended around us, creating PURE MAGIC as we visited these giant tree kin, and I was able to be there—really be there—only because of the accessible trails and amenities that made it possible. My new mobility device helped carry me farther than I’ve gone in years. I birded. I breathed. I belonged among these intertwined and gloriously dependent trees.
Image description: The Big Trees Trail signage near the trailhead with a bench on the paved trail.
The trail was mostly smooth and well-graded. There were benches. There were restrooms. ((Birdability Map review of the Big Trees Trail coming soon!)) There was space for me. It was a powerful reminder that accessibility isn’t a luxury. It’s freedom. It’s joy. It’s connection. It’s mental health. And as I moved through that breathtaking landscape, surrounded by trees older than memory, I learned something incredible.
The giant sequoia trees of the Sierra Nevada are among the largest and oldest living things on Earth. The largest tree IN THE WORLD (by volume) is one of the trees I visited. Some rise over 300 feet into the sky. But despite their immense height, they don’t have deep roots. In fact, their roots only go down about 6 to 12 feet. So how do these towering trees stay upright through centuries of wind, fire, flood, and time?
They hold onto each other.
Sequoia roots grow out—not down—and intertwine with the roots of the trees around them. They form a vast, living network of connection and support. When the wind blows hard or the earth shakes, they stay standing because they are literally rooted in community.
Image description: A huge sequoia rises in the background, with a paved trail bordered by boulders and fencing in the foreground.
This, to me, is the perfect metaphor for the mental health benefits of birding—especially for those of us living with disabilities, chronic illness, mental health conditions, sensory sensitivities, or other health concerns.
Birding gives us a way to reconnect: with nature, with ourselves, and often, with others. Whether we are on an accessible trail, sitting on a bench with binoculars, birding by ear, or watching a feeder from home, birds, like so much of nature, have a unique ability to bring us back into the present moment. They pull us out of our swirling thoughts or pain or overwhel and into the immediate magic of feathered flight, birdsong, and belonging to something bigger than ourselves.
And just like the sequoias, we don’t need to be standing tall or unshakable to be strong. Many of us are navigating life with shallow roots in some way—living with trauma, fatigue, fluctuating mobility, grief, anxiety, or evolving access needs. Some of us are newly disabled. Some have lived with disabilities our whole lives. And some are just beginning to realize our access needs and unlearn internalized ableism.
Image description: One of the world’s largest trees, a sequoia in Sequoia National Park, rises from the ground, surrounded by other trees in the mist.
Birding can be a lifeline. But so can birders. The community we build through shared observation, mutual respect, and collective care is what allows us to stay upright. Birding is often perceived as a solo activity, but it doesn’t have to be. When we bird together, whether physically or virtually, we form a root system of support. When we prioritize accessibility so that ALL of us can experience birds and nature, we strengthen that root system. We learn from each other’s experiences. We show up for one another. We witness each other’s wonder.
At Birdability, we believe birding is for every body and every mind. We work to make sure that people with disabilities and other health concerns, and all of those historically excluded from the outdoors, have access to the joy, freedom, and mental health benefits of birding. We know access needs vary from person to person, and even day to day. And we know that the best way to care for each other is by staying connected and by growing our root systems wide and strong.
So during Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite you to think like a sequoia. Hold someone up. Let yourself be held. Make space for the softness and the struggle. Take a breath. Watch a bird. And know that you are not alone.
Because like the sequoias, we stay alive by holding each other up.
Many thanks to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation for their generous support of Birdability and their commitment to helping create mental health and wellness for individuals with paralysis, emphasizing the importance of mental well-being in the context of physical challenges.
