Today I took a hike with a friend to the Landis Arboretum in Esperance. The Arboretum is a celebration of trees and plants, but the trees really had this special magnetism. There were so many species! The diversity of trees is one of the wonders of the world. There were many species of oaks, conifers, crabapples, beeches, maples, aspens - the list goes on. Old-growth trees have an incredible attraction to me. We didn't take the Old Growth Forest Trail today, but we did meet some amazing oaks along the Woodland Trail. The most stunning of all was Big Red, a towering red oak that is over 300 years old. I grasped the tree in both hands and held my head to its sinewy bark. There is a wisdom in an old tree, a wisdom that speaks of hardships and great times, of harsh, icy winters and glorious Spring rains. This wisdom knows how to hold on, to stand tall, to be patient. This tree could tell many stories; this tree has seen many things. The roots of this oak are as deep and wide as the canopy is high and spread out. Magnificent! Its roots are sending messages to the other trees of the wood, explaining secrets, warning of bugs and diseases. We humans have built towering skyscrapers and indicate machines, but we have not the technology of a tree. And yet how easily we cut them down for naught. I asked the tree forgiveness and prayed that we might learn to reverence the beauty and splendor of trees!
What is your favorite tree?
Landis Arboretum

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