Thank you, Mitch Teemley for your wise and wonderful trees. Yes, they are earth’s elders, storing its wisdom. Trees are also central to children learning about life and nature. They play a big role. Very big.
They’re the oldest and largest living things on earth. They make and cleanse most of the air that we breathe — we literally couldn’t survive without them. Perhaps it’s because I’m currently reading Richard Powers’ marvelous tree-centric novel The Overstory, that I keep thinking about these ancient chroniclers of time. If flowers are the earth’s children, trees are its elders, the faithful storers of its wisdom.
Click on any image to enlarge it, or to begin slide show.
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
~John Muir
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Listen to the trees talking in their sleep…what nice dreams they must have!”
~L.M. Montgomery
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”
~Khalil Gibran
“From barren brown stems to glistening leaf-buds; from the leaf-buds to snowy virginity of bloom…It…
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A Teacher's Reflections 
Trees are my spirit animals. They just reach for the sun, embrace the sky and provide shade. When they fall over, their bodies continue to nourish and create universes of life.
Well said!
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree…” (Joyce Kilmer)
Yes!!
A tree is our most intimate contact with nature.
Yes!
I love the cherry blossom we have in our playground. The children learn so much from it!
I hope you write about it on your blog and post pictures. We have trees that children love, too. I turned one into a Wishtree. Food for thought…
I will try to, Jennie!!!
Hooray!!!
What a beautiful collection of trees and quotes. Thank you for sharing and introducing me to Mitch, Jennie.
You’re welcome, Norah! I’m glad you enjoyed this as much as I did.
💖
such an amazing variety of trees in those photos; I had never seen trees like some of those!
I felt the same way, some were truly amazing. Can you believe there is a tree over 4,000 years old?
as you note, trees are amazing!
Yes!
Thanks for sharing this, Jennie. Trees are magnificent friends, wise elders, and vital to our lives. Heading over to read the rest of Mitch’s post. ❤
I don’t think too much around trees, my Dear Jennie! But they Do make me feel good.
Hurrah for any post which reminds all of us humans about how deeply intertwined our lives are with plants and TREES! I am often amazed at how patient they seem to be with us — especially trees whose roots have been paved over to create a driveway or sidewalk. I have no idea how certain grandmother/grandfather trees in our neighborhood get enough water/nutrients to survive year after year…We have had a patch of warm weather here in southern New England, and I have been watching buds swelling on tree branches as I walk around town. I hope they are wise and resilient enough to withstand/adapt to climate change. One of the wildest stories i read about the recent cold snap in the south (maybe Texas?) was people hearing loud noises as sap-filled branches froze: “‘We listened to them all night. Sounds like gunshots going off,’ (a resident) said. The cold temperatures cause the sap inside of trees to freeze, expanding beyond what the tree bark can contain. The expanding sap can split the trees where their branches connect to the main trunk. However, the freezing sap can also cause massive tears in the main trunk… But even though “exploding trees” can rupture the bark, leaving “frost scars” on their surface, the trees themselves don’t literally burst into splinters. Nevertheless, ice buildup on tree branches can cause heavy limbs to fall, threatening people and power lines and objects below…”
Hooray for trees, indeed! As I get older I have a much greater appreciation for Mother Nature and all she gives us. We are the caretakers, and we’re doing a much better job than we have done for centuries. That story is fascinating, Will!!
Good reblog, Jennie. You already know I love trees, and Mitch showcased them beautifully.
Best wishes, Pete.
He really did, along with terrific quotes. I can’t get my head wrapped around a 4,000 year old tree.
I wrote about this one, that is 4,852. The world’s oldest tree, and it is in America. 🙂
Yes, I remember, and it was wonderful. It’s the same tree in Mitch’s post. England cut down so many trees centuries ago, perhaps ones as old. In the 1800’s America was 40% forest, and now we’re 60%. That’s a good thing. Best to you, Pete.
Great post with wonderful quotes about trees and why we love them so.
I felt the same way as soon as I saw the post. Thank you, Deborah.
Trees are for us to love and protect. ❤ It is mostly up to us an awesome responsibility. What wonderful pictures. Thank you for sharing.🙂
You are spot on. Sandra. I’m glad you liked Mitch’s pictures as much as I did.
I certainly did.I 😊❤
Thank you for sharing. Trees are wonderful
Yes, they are.