Tree Appreciation 101.
The idea is you look carefully at trees you come across and consider carefully their shape, leaf effect and so on. We (well most of us), after childhood, just tend to walk past trees and our mind says:
It's just a tree.
A tree is not just a tree. It is an awesome product of mother nature, which we are lucky enough to
wonder at.
So, steps in Tree Appreciation 101:
1. First, consider it's general shape. Is it the shape of a ball? Is it tall and cylindrical? Squashed and like a plate?
2. Now consider it's symmetry. Is it all pushed over at one side? Ask yourself why is that?
For these reasons, check where North is, and where the prevailing wind comes from. We have a Westerly prevailing wind and it often pushes trees to one side.
3. Consider it's leaves. Are they large or small, shiny or matt? Do you think they are nice looking, if so why?
4. This might need a closer look: What colour is the bark? Is there any lichen on it? What is the texture of the bark?
5. Check out the branches: Are they tortuous, or smooth and lean looking? There is an old Judas Tree near where I live that has branches like corkscrews.
6. Now start on the things that are not seen. Start with the roots. Imagine you have XRay eyes and can see through the earth and look at the roots. Feel with your mind: Is it damp or dry soil? Put yourself in the mind of the tree: how do your roots feel? Nourished? Plenty of water or a bit dry?
7. Look at the trunk: Imagine the tiny bits of water making their way up inside the trunk.
8. Imagine you are inside one of the leaves: have you lots of water to get rid of via the underside? How about any gases you might be sucking in from the atmosphere? What about giving out oxygen?
9. Put yourself in the tree's mind. Does it feel happy? Or sad? Why?
Another idea is to imagine you are from another planet, say a desert type one, and you are seeing earth for the first time. Starts to look like an amazing place!
There is a theory that the earth is a living being, which would be nice if it were true-you can almost imagine all things on the surface are connected in some way to the inner earth .
