“Oh, beautiful wooded majesty, with God’s grace you came to be
All eyes that look upon you see, that you are more than just a tree
An ode to life is what you are – equal to ocean, sky and star”
-Francesco Tarantino
Trees are amazing beings! They have more similarities to humans than I had realized. In reading the book “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben, I learned that “trees are social beings and have families. They support each other by sharing nutrients, especially with trees that are sick or struggling, and even warn of potential dangers.” An important way of their staying connected to other trees is through what Dr. Simand’s calls a “wood wide web” of fungi. Trees that are isolated tend to not live as long. And for trees, as well as humans, water is essential to their well-being.
My appreciation of trees has grown over decades. In the late 70’s, while camping half way across the country with a tent and sleeping bag, I was grateful for the many trees that offered shelter from the elements. Over the years, I’ve hugged many a tree, climbed, and even ducked under a few, while hiking the Colorado mountains, trying to avoid afternoon hail stones.
One of my most magical moments ever was spending the night outdoors in a sleeping bag, nestled under a giant California redwood tree. I remember waking up to this majestic being and looking up and up what seemed like forever, seeing a tiny light peeking through and a bit of blue sky welcoming me to the day. It made me realize how small we humans are in the scheme of nature and life, and it filled me with gratitude for such an experience of Oneness.
Trees provide clean air, beauty, shade, comfort, and a respite from the world. It is troubling to see the destruction of our trees for the sake of developers’ profits. Pink Floyd, a 230-year-old oak tree, inspired the poem above. Thankfully, although diminished, it was kept rooted after petitions and numerous efforts were made by friends and neighbors.
I found it painful to once witness the cutting down of a tree, with its limbs put into a shredder and turned into sawdust. And now my heart aches, witnessing the damage that forest fires (especially those set by humans) have caused to our forests, a loss that will be felt by future generations. But trees, like humans can be resilient. Here at our Florida condo complex, during Hurricane Irma, we nearly lost a most magnificent tree, but amazingly, with a wooden crutch to lean on, this massive tree continues to grow and demonstrate its beauty and strength.
My friend, Mary B, shared the feelings of connection and reverence that she and her husband hold for trees: “As John and I hike, I touch and thank them for all they do – especially the older, bigger ones. The things they have seen, the gifts they give to us, the storms they have weathered . . . It is such a wonder!”
There are many health benefits to being in nature. In Canada, some naturopathic doctors, like Dr. Melissa Lem, are prescribing what is called Park RX or Nature RX. She believes that “being in nature is therapeutic for those with mental health challenges” and considers “the 4 pillars of health to be diet, exercise, sleep and nature time.”
In the 1980’s, the Japanese had a name for ecotherapy, “time spent in nature”, as shinrin-yoku, known as forest bathing. It was a way then to counteract the tech burnout and inspire people to reconnect and protect the forests, and is still practiced today.
Globaltreelovers.org offers a wonderful community and website to participate in and to learn more about the healing connections between trees and humanity.
For the ‘love of trees’ and each other, let’s connect on a heart level with the loving beings in our midst.
Blessings to you and your loved ones….in whatever variety and huggable form.
Trees have always been fun to climb, as nieces Kate and Jenna discovered!
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