Step into the Wild Challenge - Day 17

Day 17 – Tree time

If you go back a few posts to Day 9, you’ll remember that I asked you to find your favourite tree, either in your yard or neighbourhood. If you missed that post, make time today to find that tree and reflect on all the things you love about that tree. (summer shade, bird nests and habitats, fruit, sound of wind in its leaves, beauty)

For the rest of this week, (this is more of a weekly challenge vs. a daily challenge), spend some tree time with your tree. Walk up to it, touch its bark, and (preferably out loud) introduce yourself to your tree and tell it what you like about it.

I know what some of you are thinking, and yes, my neighbours think I’m a little crazy, but research shows that trees have intelligence. Not our kind of intelligence, for what that’s worth, but tree intelligence. Trees communicate with each other, share sugars and nutrients, and the older “mother” trees nurture smaller trees through a complex network of fungal filaments called mycelium. If a threat is introduced at one side of a woodlot, trees in the far side of the woods will start to respond chemically to that threat. If you had a chance to pick up the Hidden Life of Trees from Day 13, you may have been reading about this. It is very cool!

Not only are trees amazing communicators, they take carbon out of the atmosphere (remember grade 6 science class) and they expire the Oxygen that we breathe every day… You probably know someone who swears that when they talk to their houseplants, they grow better… so why not talk to you favourite tree?

Okay, for those of you who aren’t comfortable “speaking” to your tree out loud (yet) –just speak from your heart.

Your challenge this week, share some love for those hardworking trees, even if it’s just a “thanks” for all they do as you’re passing by…