SO.AWESOME

Seems legit.

Makes sense. The power to make peace with nature.

@Shadowstar I’ve also had the headcanon that since Twlight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash represent personalities and abilities very typical of their races (studious, farming and racing+weather control), and Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie pie dont, those last 3 could possibly have more mixed ancestry, such as Fluttershy being part Earth pony as you mentioned, with Pinkie pie possibly being part Unicorn to explain her Pinkie sense (and other bizarre ‘abilities’). Never quite sure how to explain Rarity being part pegasi, though; maybe how she controlled the weather in the last episode?

Headcanon… acceptable.

@Psychopomf Granny smith’s entire family was shown building a house on the outskirts of the Everfree forest, so I agree on the team effort here but didnt feel like drawing a whole load of ponies, since its just one tree I drew there. But yes, the idea was the more Earth ponies that came near the forest, those close sections of the forest were eventually more able to be cut down and such.  
And I was going to put in something about Fluttershy’s parents/ancestry but thats either for another time or its likely been covered before.  
As for Animistic and Shamanism, I dont see why not, maybe thats what Zebras also excel in?

its fanon that Fluttershy is ‘part’ earth pony.  
That is a direct familal ancestor is/was one  
(ie parent or Grandparent)  
but I agree with most of it. Earth ponies are tied to the land like pesagi to the skies and clouds. Mostly.

And the episode will be part of a mini-series where Twilight loses the respect of all three races.

About the same theory I had. Though maybe taking it a few steps further. Could they perhaps commune with nature in an almost animistic and shamanistic level? It would definatly be the reason for nature being more ‘calm’ in settled down places like Ponyville. A bit more latent than outright Unicorn magic or Pegasi meteomancy.
 
Though I like to think nature is just naturally that way in the Pony world, a little startling in just how some beasts are. After all, we saw pony eating flowers in the comics. Flowers! And subduing the Everfree forest was a team effort… and probably why they don’t want to expand any deeper.