Planting Trees for a Hope-Filled Future

“We need trees. Trees need community, just as we do,” Jarrod Kinkley says, sharing with Sisters that the Ecology Team planted 101 new trees on our grounds in 2025. Guided by a reverence for God’s presence in creation and the desire to steward and share its gifts with our dear neighbors, the Sisters have lovingly cared for this land – the largest privately-held greenspace in Beaver County – since our arrival in Baden in 1901.

Sisters and visitors alike are drawn to the majestic Sycamore trees that line the path to Trinity House and the upper part of our grounds, finding comfort in their canopy, strength in their stature, and delight in the many birds, squirrels, and insects who visit or call them home.

While our eyes are most easily drawn to the “above the ground” displays of beauty and vitality, what’s even more remarkable, Jarrod explains, is that which we don’t see – a world of connection and caring just below our feet. Holy ground. 

Scientist Suzanne Simard discovered that, through their root systems and the presence and function of mycorrhizal fungi, trees share energy, reserves, and food with each other. Peter Wohlleben, author of “The Hidden Life of Trees” documented studies between Beech trees that, when one is in distress, those near it begin to send sugar through their roots, forming a community of connection and support. 

This was a hope-filled revelation for Sisters, whose spirituality is deeply rooted in relationship – with God, one another, and all creation. “I was just thinking, with the kind of communication system that trees have, how do we get connected to that kind of existence?” Sister Sharon Costello asks, “Because we’re struggling, you know, maybe communally, maybe in some of our families, and certainly in our country, with so much disconnect. So, how do we not just read about it and think about it, but how do we really get connected to this kind of community?” 

To start, Jarrod says, “we need to get our hands in the dirt,” encouraging those gathered to take and hold jars of soil he’d brought from outside – the mycorrhizal fungi, visible as little white filaments on the leaves and in the dirt – to see that sacred connector who brings plants and trees together, allowing them to “communicate in a way beyond our understanding.”

Referencing a recent study, he also encouraged us – as we hope to encourage you! – to report directly to your nearest Eastern White Pine tree, the ones with the long, soft needles, and give it hug! Science now bears what our hearts have long known, that proximity to, and relationship with nature is healing. Even a brief, 20-second hug boosts our serotonin (mood) and creates a happiness bond, not just with that tree, but also with any activity you do in the 20 minutes post-embrace. So, if you, like us, want to feel a taste of a hope-filled future, wrap your arms around the nearest pine tree!