The Tree Connection by Suzanne Radford
Published The Portugal News October 2024
Sir Isaac Newton was a fan of trees, and so was Buddha, and they continue to inspire artists, poets, scientists, and philosophers today. They are described as the lungs of the earth, rooted in a single spot for a lifetime, a lifetime that spans hundreds of years. The oldest, more than 5,000 years, the largest at upwards of 52,500 cubic feet, and with over 3 trillion of them covering the earth they continue to be a vital natural resource. The love, healing and knowledge they offer us, this deep rooted connection we have with trees.
I came across a photograph of myself when I was a child, sitting in a garden, surrounded by trees, in my tiny clutches a flower I had picked, a delicate daisy. Seeing my younger self (no more than 3 years old) content in my surroundings made me wonder about the innate way humans feel at home in nature, among trees. Perhaps it stems from childhood when we played and explored in gardens and parks, or perhaps it goes much further back in our evolution from when we were hunter gatherers interacting with the natural landscape for survival and is simply part of our DNA.
Behind my house in the Monchique hills is an oak tree that I like to go and sit beside, what we call in the practice of forest bathing a sit spot, a place in nature to visit regularly that is accessible, a place to simply sit and be, noticing what is there. Over one year I witness subtle changes in my tree friend. The changing colour of leaves, birds that come and go, insects that pass by, and the breeze through the boughs of its strong-like arms that change in force and temperature through the seasons. I always come away feeling better perhaps there is something in its strength that I find comfort in, the life of it, the permanence of it that grounds me. The touch and texture of the tree, its springy cork support me when I lean in, wrapping arms around the torso and breathing with the tree feels good, it is helping me in a way.
The term ‘tree hugger’ gets a bad rap these days, yet the term originates back to the year 1730 and a good intention when a group of Hindu villagers in Rajasthan, India attempted to protect sacred trees from being cut down and being used as raw material in the building of a Royal palace. 350 men and women lost their lives clinging to the trees. Environmental advocacy continues to be important today, with the rise in awareness and a return to trees and nature for people’s wellbeing, hugging a tree may be no bad thing. During the pandemic when social distancing, isolation, and loneliness escalated, the phrase, if you can’t hug a person, hug a tree was coined and it resonated with people.
American nature poet, Mary Oliver wrote, “When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily”.
In my work as a forest bathing guide and in the field of forest therapy, I see the positive effects spending time among trees has on people, breathing in clean unpolluted air, and inhaling the natural compounds emitted by trees. The science shows the benefits for humans spending regular time in natural settings. Our senses are awakened and our instinct kicks in, it can improve mood and boost our immune system. Not only this, we can relate to trees in other ways, we carry a similar stature in the human torso or trunk and how we stand, holding our core.
According to German forester and scientist, Peter Wohlleben, trees, like humans, belong to communities and families, they form tribes to help each other. In his bestselling book, The Hidden Life of Trees, he explains how trees "talk" to each other and share resources. Trees react to the environment around them and connect with their community through an underground root system, a web of pathways. He claims that trees have friends, feel loneliness and pain, and communicate underground via the "wood-wide web". It’s amazing to consider and shows there is so much for us to learn and discover in nature that surrounds us.
Over the years there are many trees that stand out, that I felt a connection with. The English oak that captured my imagination in a park near my grandmother’s house where I would play with my cousins, an oasis of green in the heart of the city. The chestnuts in the fields of my childhood home, aptly named by the kids in the village: Conker Tree Island. Years later, living in Dubai there was a ghaf tree that was special, it was where I would find shade walking my dogs and would see life in the dry desert heat, in its bark and branches, and it is there where I scattered the ashes of my dear old dog. Here in the Portugal, I enjoy many trees on my walks, cork oaks, pine, medronho and chestnuts. At my house I planted trees: olive, plum, apple, and walnut, peach, many are house warming gifts so now when I look at each tree I think of the friend that gave it to me.
Whatever the reason why we have a connection to trees, we know we feel good when we are around them, and we relax. We open up to the awe and wonder of nature and where we fit within it. Love and a sense of coming home are often comments shared by participants on a forest bathing walk. Memories of childhood, a favourite tree, freedom, and joy also come up. So I invite you to take a moment and reflect on a tree that means something to you, a place or a time when nature has supported you. And when you can, go spend time with a tree or trees, and be mindful, aware of your senses and notice any pleasure brings, on the outside and on the inside. Discover your own tree connection.
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