”The Little Leaf Linden Tree” by Georgette Reuter

 

We planted this tree over 40 years ago in our backyard. Although the plant nursery told us that it would grow into a medium size tree, much to our surprise, it is now over 100 feet tall! Our Little Leaf Linden is special to us because our daughter Cora was only 18 months old when we brought the tree home in the back of our car. Much to our delight, when Cora's second daughter was born, she named her Linden. Now, whenever 5 year old Linden comes over to visit, she loves to have us give her a big push on the swing that now hangs on our very large Linden tree.

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“Missing a Giant Sequoia” by Tom Giske

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In January of 2024, I chose to take a second walk with Sarah Low, founder of the Tacoma Tree Foundation, through the University of Puget Sound campus.  This was a meditative walk, where we communicated with the trees rather than each other.  I found myself feeling a natural connection with each new tree that lifted my spirit through their branches into the sky, where together we could embrace the common grace of God.   It was both calming and inspiring.  As we ended the walk, we were positioned between two giant sequoia trees, one to the west where we had come from, and the other to the north in front of the Rasmussen Rotunda, where I had often come for meetings with local volunteer groups.  I suddenly realized I had never noticed that tree!  I had walked right past it when hurrying to get to meetings on time.  And dashed out the door to get home without ever looking up at this magnificent tree.  I was so taken; I immediately sat down on the ground and wrote this poem:

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watching over our legislature

 

how amazing the strength of those roots

reaching out to me under my boots

my eyes leap probingly up the bole

piercing the clouds with its heart and soul

 

so much more of time than i have known

this tree has absorbed as it has grown

i wonder what events claimed the notch

that so curls then unfurls near the top

 

some needles hang down, bowing to me

most look up, praising God thankfully

brashly red and restless is its bark

mystifying God’s spiring landmark

 

each moment of this tree's history

achieves the will of God’s mystery

turning harmful carbon dioxide

into oxygen thus purified

 

towering above our hectic times

this sole sequoia quietly climbs

to join forces with the northern cross

casting God’s grace upon our chaos

 

i sense the soft ground under my feet

knowing it nourishes this retreat

i rest my mind from weary debate

renewal the reward of God’s state

 

sequoia, native scholar we chose

inspiration for what this tree knows

it lives with a knowhow i treasure

beyond its beauty for my pleasure

 

many times into the rotunda

to help deal with our lives asunder

with no awareness of God’s grandeur

watching over our legislature

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“Always Trees” by Melanie Moor (art by Bellen Drake)

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Age 5-8

I remember sitting at the base of a maple tree, looking for ants, encouraging them to crawl all over my skin AND… 

Falling off a fallen tree, breaking my thumb. (Not the trees fault)

 

Age 8-18

If it wasn’t for the solace of our backyard trees and the deep woods behind our house, I don’t know if I would have made it through these years. I was either in my tree fort or reading a book in the arms of the broadleaf maple. Exploring the woods and identifying the many hardwoods of Northern Ohio captured my heartsong. As a nerdy teenager, I spent a week in a dendrology summer camp (the scientific study of trees).

 

My 20s

When I moved to the foothills of the Rocky Mts, I was excited to find a job working for the YACC (Young Adult Conservation Corps), in the Rocky Mts for $3.65/hour. Every morning we’d meet in Boulder and “crummy up” and head into the mountains. Our job was to cut, limb and buck ponderosa pine trees that were infected with pine beetles. I carried and used a chainsaw to cut down 40+ foot ponderosa pine trees.  A few years later, I began to balance my karma by planting trees with the Marmot Coop out of Bellingham. We planted all over the PNW. After a couple seasons of scrambling around wildfire burns and clearcuts on mountain sides and throwing down a hoe-dad to create a hole for spruce and fir saplings, I moved to Seattle.

 

My 30s 

I joined an activist group called SNAG (Seattle Non-Violent Action Group) - the only tree connection was in the name, “snag.”

 

My 40s + 50s

I was an elementary school teacher who taught about trees every chance I got. I took my class on listening walks, drawing and writing poetry about them. I loved teaching about photosynthesis and the importance of trees. 

 

My 60s

I found TUFF - Tacoma Urban Forest Friends - finding an outlet for my outrage at the lack of trees and basic respect for trees in Tacoma. This has taken me/us to the beginning stages of this new group: Reforest Tacoma!

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