As Valerie explains in Chapter 31, “Shelterwood is an obscure forestry term for older, larger trees that protect the smaller, younger growth beneath” (313). In the novel, the author uses the motif of shelterwood to emphasize Olive’s role as a nurturer and protector. The image also reinforces the theme of Nature as a Source of Healing and Refuge. 

Olive invents the name “Shelterwood Town” for her home in the Winding Stair Mountains, the place where she is trying to take Nessa and the others. When their trip is halted because they need to wait for Amos to heal from his gunshot wound, Olive names their summer camp in the forest “Shelterwood Camp.” She also imagines “Shelterwood School” as a place where she will teach the younger children to read and write. Olive’s affinity for naming different havens “shelterwood” reflects two significant aspects of her character, the most prominent of which is her desire to create a better, safer environment for herself and others. This nurturing, activist side of Olive resembles the forestry concept of “shelterwood,” and the motif also reinforces her connection with nature and her belief that natural spaces offer healing and refuge.