Barra is a horticulturist.

Trees are like people—you never know what’s happened to them.

Rebecca S. Valla, integrative psychiatrist, who is board certified in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, found comfort in her backyard trees as a child.

As a child, climbing trees, nestling on a limb, and leaning against the trunk brought me peace. “My” trees gave me the gift of refuge and renewal, which I greatly needed at that time.

Adina Arden Cooper describes herself as a mental health counsellor, life coach, and creative entrepreneur. She works in Nashville, North Carolina, and offers her advice for those who are stressed.

If you feel stressed or overwhelmed, go for a walk in the woods, amble through a garden, plant some flowers, or simply sit beside a tree. I promise you will feel a stronger sense of peace and contentment as a result.

Jaisa Sulit, neuro-rehab occupational therapist and author of Purpose in Paralysis, offers a way of capturing the essence of a tree in water for its grounding and centring effects.

Drawn to a conifer, I stopped to connect. Its presence made me feel grounded, centred, and confident. “Can I work with you today?” I asked, after which a feeling of safety and being loved arose in my body. I raised my left hand and absorbed the tree’s energy in through my palm, up my left arm, across my torso, read more

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.