From Brian Douglas, writer and reader, comes this pithy reflection on urban life.

Captive within this concrete jungle, I thirst for the shade of something other. The Tree.

Returning to the West End of Vancouver after living in New York, Jude Gorgopa appreciates being close to Stanley Park once more, especially to the trees.

As life would have it, I moved back to my beloved West End a few years ago, two blocks from Stanley Park. The first things I noticed were the signature aroma of green and the dizzying effect of so much oxygen. Moving into the depths of the woods, I find the cool stillness, the rich smell of earth, and the wise old trees towering above me suddenly read more

When I asked Adina Arden-Cooper some thoughts about trees, she sent me a quote from her book: American Nomads: Consciously Connecting on a Minimalist Family Road Trip Through the Western U. S.

Ancient Greeks believed that the first man was birthed from a tree, while in Siberia it was said that men and women were born from different types of trees. Trees have been thought to house magical sprites, to have divining power, to hold sacred wisdom, and to offer protection.

Dezi Eden-Thomas, author, composer, teacher, and visionary offered this evocative poem when asked her about her thoughts of trees.

In a Whirl

The wind blows

and I, like the leaves,

travel on in endless circles

searching

for a final resting place.

This is what Dhiana Sage of Presence Wisdom offered for her admiration of trees.

Trees are the standing ones. Deeply rooted in the substance of earth, trees don’t move. Trees weather all that arises; they bow to the wind; they grow in the Light and the Night.

Great teachers, trees know and show us the way home to our inner Tree. As students returning to the Tree of Life, may we be rooted in the earth, reach to the sky uninhibited and free, befriend our neighbours as ourselves, and stand humbly read more

Kathy Oaks is the author of Homeschoolers Are Not Hermits: A Practical Guide to Raising Smart, Confident, and Socially Connected Kids. She has plenty of opportunity to observe home-schooled children.

It doesn’t matter that our big yard has a play structure and a climbing dome, the kids never get tired of climbing in the sugar maple tree. There’s something about a real tree that captures the imagination and challenges both the brain and the body.

While I was getting Legacy of Trees ready for editing prior to reaching out to traditional publishers, I asked my friends how they felt about trees. Here is what my friend Gail Brown had to say. She used to live in Vancouver’s West End, near Stanley Park, as I still do.

Motivation to walk for physical fitness became walks for my mental and emotional well-being. I thrived on those trails where I was surrounded and embraced by trees. Huge trees, small trees, big bushy trees, sculpted trees, read more