The Benevolent Energies of Trees

Plant a 'Cathedral of Trees'

Storm King Art Center in the Hudson Valley of NY is known for its sculpture but I think it should be known for its amazing trees.

Trees, the earth’s largest and longest-lived plant forms, are Nature’s gift to us.

Besides providing for our sustenance, by giving us fire, fruit, shade, shelter, medicine and soil enrichment, they beautify our environment. 

For some people, trees offer solace and represent on-going life. For others, they enlarge the definition of ‘community’. Wendell Berry, novelist and essayist, sees trees from this last perspective, "You've got to understand what kind of creature a tree is… they have to receive from us a certain deference, a certain respect, as we would extend to any neighbor."

When trees are seen as our neighbors, commingling in everyday life, they become a part of our family, standing as silent sentinels, growing amidst – and despite - the tumult of human activity.

I took this photo of the sheltering boughs of a magnificent tree.