NEARING the end of his long life, incapacitated by the vagaries of old age, a close friend told me, "I am useless, just deadwood."
It upset me to hear this from a man whose 95 years on the planet had made a successful difference.
Mervyn Knox-Browne, of South Loch Tayside, was a revered community member, and he had achieved so much more than he realised. However, feeling useless is sadly something that afflicts many older people.
Mervyn had trodden effortlessly over Scotland's highest hills, on the roughest and steepest terrain, for most of his life-while gathering sheep or merely for pure joy.
He knew the Gaelic names for them and their meanings.
Now he was largely housebound. On a visit, I sat beside him and took his work-worn hand, noticing the raised veins - a latticework like exposed tree roots on a bank, mapping his life and then I replied.
"Deadwood. Deadwood, both standing and recumbent, is vital to the sylvan ecosystem. It sustains life, from the smallest micro-organisms to a vast range of invertebrates, plants, fungi, mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles - a diversity of hidden and seen species.
"It feeds the soil and provides a rich larder for insectivorous species, wood-boring beetles and saproxylic insects, and places for them to lay their eggs, hibernate, and hide. It provide shelter and nest sites. And that wealth of insect life provides food for all these species.
"As a true countryman, you know the importance of deadwood. In the past, you have told me this yourself." He looked at me, nodded and smiled.
I added, "Your wealth of knowledge, understanding of the weather, the phases of the moon, and the work you have done in your lifetime recording the seasonal changes, the arrivals of migrants - the swallow, the cuckoo - and the first frogspawn are all gamechanging.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av The Scots Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Bliss Of A Bothy
After a strenuous walk, a mountain shelter can offer all you need
The Long Way Round
When you can only just see the stepping stones under a river in spate, it's time to re-think the route, as two Highland adventurers found out
The New Oyster Cult
A community is helping to restore the once rich biodiversity of Loch Craignish, one species at a time
A Poet's Sanctuary
Hidden on a hilltop, writer Dominic Cooper is inspired by the wild, stormy winters of the Ardnamurchan peninsula
A Rural Housing Crisis
Across Scotland, locals are being priced out and crowded out - but communities are now working hard to address the issue
A Historic Centre
Glasgow's Mercat Cross may not be as old as it appears but it's still seen many changes, along with an ebb and flow in prosperity
A Bird With A Brain
Jim's encounters with the raven in several northern countries have only increased his respect for its intellect and ingenuity
The Warrior King
On the 750th anniversary of his birth, Robert The Bruce's legacy as cultural keystone and historical enigma continues to fascinate
All Going Swimmingly
From Tutti Frutti to Shetland, Monarch Of The Glen to Granite Harbour, Dawn Steele's heart will always be in Scotland - and the sea
Following The Coos
The latest charity art trail aims to a-moos-e and delight visitors to Perth and Kinross this summer