Friday, January 13, 2012

There's Real Poetry in the Real World

Two-Pronged Cedar

Cedfir

Woodpecker's Delight

Elder

Briggs Lake



Scar

Burned out--alive and well


Nursery Tree

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Heritage Trees Project Takes Root


Heritage Trees: An Introduction

Heritage trees are individual trees that are especially valued for their great size and age, or for some particular historical or cultural significance. In many parts of the world, heritage trees have been identified, formally recognized, and conserved as part of the natural and cultural heritage of a country or culture. This growing recognition of heritage trees is timely as trees of great stature and age, in particular, are vanishing around the world. (From Heritage Trees of Fiji, one of many such projects around the world). This the first of many posts about the Heritage Trees of San Juan County.


Wise Woman Tree

Sunset Wolf Tree


Wolf Sprouts From Rock


Wolf Sprouts From Rock

Wolf Sprouts From Rock


Open Heart Madrona


We Share the Same Root Madronas

Loving Madrona

Loving Madrona

Wolf Tree Family

Shining Madrona


Shining Madrona2


Shining Madrona3

Shining Madrona Base

Shining Madrona4

Monday, January 9, 2012

Symphony of Science

I don't know why I never heard of these until last night (thank you, Facebook) but they are utterly wonderful--the more so if you know what they are talking about, at least a little and who they are. Fabulous. Quantum physics, the history of the human species and brain science, set to music. Amazing. http://symphonyofscience.com/videos.html

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Taking Root, the Vision of Wangari Maathai

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5GX6JktJZg

Tree People


Here we are, just like that in 2012.  I am behind on this blog because of many things (read holidays, getting a cold from hell, family and friends), but there has been a lot “cooking”.  One of my main intentions for this year is to plant trees, conserve trees, learn about trees, talk about trees and to document heritage trees. I got a book I wanted for Christmas: Like A Tree by Jean Shinoda Bolen. http://www.jeanbolen.com/ Here is a quote from the first page.
“The seed idea for this book began with the observation that there are “tree
people”, and that I am one of them. A tree person has positive feelings for
individual trees and an appreciation of trees . . . A tree person may have
been a child who kept treasures in a tree, or had a sanctuary in one, or
climbed up to see the wider worlds, a child for whom trees were places of
imaginative play and retreat . . .  A tree person met up with Nature in
childhood or as an adult, and like the four-footed ones who retreat to lick
their wounds, may still heal emotional hurts by going to where trees are."
Knowing something is good. Naming it gives it power. I am a tree person. I had so many experiences like the Bolen's story:
“A huge Monterey pine (once) stood in front of the house that is now my home
. . .  It never occurred to me that by a vote of a homeowners association
this beautiful tree that was there before any houses went up and was in its
prime could be cut down because a neighbor wanted it down and could mobilize
the necessary votes. In trying to save my tree, I was in many conversations
and meetings, and found that there is a world of difference between tree
people
and "not tree people.”

“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.”
Joyce Kilmer
“You see one tree, you¹ve seen them all.”
Attributed to Ronald Reagan
“It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees." Wangari Maathai
More on Wangari next time.