New Ways to Speak with Trees for Earth Lovers and Huggers
What do you think and feel when you see beautiful tall trees dripping with lush green loveliness? When surrounded by all those earthly giants whispering, do you stop to listen? What about a big old tree hug — have you tried that lately? If you’re reading this, you probably wish for more tree hugging and listening.
Many trees have been around longer than most humans alive today. Do you ever wonder how they communicate and what they have to say? I believe we can learn a few secrets if we turn off the mind, tune in the heart and listen carefully. Here’s some new ways to speak with trees for all you earth lovers and tree huggers.
Trees Talk to Each Other
In her YouTube video, forest ecologist Suzanne Simard explained that trees talk to each other and communicate messages. Shuffling carbon and nitrogen back and forth through an underground system of roots and fungi they collaborate to help each other thrive.
A recent Treehugger story highlighted Simard’s lifelong research dedicated to learning how trees communicate. At the TEDSummit 2016, she asserted that trees talk with their kin, support offspring in times of need, and transport messages of wisdom to the next generation of seedlings when injured or dying.
As the Lorax once said: “Let them grow, let them grow. But nobody listens too much, don’t you know? I speak for the trees and I’ll yell and I’ll shout for the fine things on earth that are on their way out!”
It’s too easy to take these silent and stationary beings for granted. The Tree People lists 22 benefits such as clean air, oxygen, prevention of soil erosion and water pollution, shade from the heat, and food supply. Most importantly trees absorb and store carbon dioxide to protect us from climate change. Needless to say, we need to keep them alive and well.
New Ways to Speak with Trees
In honor of all the work they do to keep us green and alive on earth, I’ve compiled a few of my favorite tree photos captured during travels. We had a few quiet conversations — these trees and I. Please scroll down slowly to hear a few things they are saying.
Stay rooted to the ground
Forget about time, walk with us
Reach for the sky
Life is about greening and giving
Never tire of the blue sky and salty sea
It doesn’t take color to see that life is majestic
Appreciate every moment from dawn until dusk
Green is the new gold
Do these messages and images resonate with you? Have you had any memorable conversations with trees that you’d like to share? Please recommend this story and leave a comment to let us know what you think!
Related
Originally published at hundredgivers.org on December 23, 2016.
