Happy Un-Birthday Trees!

[forestofglory]

So today is not Tu B'shevat, the Jewish new year of trees. That would be February 10. However I a person who is apparently bad at dates have been going around telling people in my circle who are doing the January talking meme that the holiday is today and asking them to post about a meaningful tree. So if that's you I'm sorry I got the date wrong but I'm still looking forward to reading your thoughts on trees!

I've been thinking about this prompt a bit myself and I have realized that I don't interact with trees that much any more. I could tell you a lot about the benefits of street trees, or a bit about the ecology of live oak savanna, or even about some special trees form my childhood, but not a lot about trees in my daily life these days. The trees that I see the most these days are the two redwoods in our backyard, and they are lovely and I enjoy looking at them but I don't feel really personal about them.

Comments

[ambyr]

You might find this article, which looks at the environment (in)justice of unequal provision of shade (both from trees and from structures) in urban areas, interesting and helpful for provoking more tree-related thoughts? It’s left me with a lasting antipathy for palm trees.

https://placesjournal.org/article/shade-an-urban-design-mandate/

[forestofglory]

Thank you! That looks interesting.

[dolorosa_12]

Oh, I'm sorry that the post isn't going to be on Tu B'shevat, but it was still a really great prompt, and I had a lot of fun thinking about lots of wonderful trees.

I think I feel fairly similar to you — I have trees around me that I enjoy looking at, but they don't feel as special as the ones from my childhood. For me it's partly that I now live on the other side of the world, in a place with a drastically different climate and seasonal cycle to the one I grew up with, so the trees are pretty, but ... wrong, somehow.

[forestofglory]

You wrote such a lovely post!

I still live where I grew up, but somehow I don't spend a lot of time interacting with trees. Even though I love the trees in the abstract. Maybe I need to go on more proper hikes, not just neighborhood walks.

[clevermanka]

What trees do (or did) you feel personal about?

[forestofglory]

Hm... the one I kept thinking about was the huge montery pine in my parents backyard when I was a kid. I was a great tree for climbing, lots of large study branches that where a good distance apart. Saddy it got a tree disease and had to be cut down. The yard is a lot sunnier now, but I miss the tree.

[clevermanka]

Oh, that's hard. I'm glad the tree was there for you when you were young. Thank you for your service, Montery Pine!

[lunabee34]

I've still got my tree post percolating!

[forestofglory]

I'm looking forward to it!

[calissa]

What a lovely idea! Do you think you'll post on this topic again when Tu B'shevat rolls around?

[forestofglory]

I'm going to try to post something else about trees on Tu B'shevat, we'll see how it goes.

[starshipfox]

I had an intensely emotional relationship with an oak on my street which fell over in 2014, and I'm still not over it. But since then, like you, I don't have a lot of tree feelings, and this post has made me think that I ought to go and get to know some trees again.

[forestofglory]

I'm sorry about your oak tree!

I am also starting to think I ought to spend more time with trees after this post