2. A connection with a tree

There is something magical about the thought of conversing with a tree. Of having an understanding of their day to day or year to year lives, understanding what they see, feel, hear. Having an insight into their existence gives us the ability to become more open-minded and wiser individuals. The act of speaking to a tree may seem like crazy talk to a lot of people, almost an act of witchery to some. However to indigenous and native people who call the forest their home, this act is incredibly real. An act of worship to those who give us life, food and a sense of purpose. For without our trees, there would be no us. No oxygen to breathe into our lungs, no food to feed the animals that feed us and no medicine to cure a bleeding wound or a heavy heart. Some species come from generations when dinosaurs walked our planet showing how ancient these sentient beings truly are. Their wisdom is truly out of this world and their presence felt and admired by all. However as with anything of value, their assets are protected from the curious mind and therefore the thought of communicating with a tree has been left to folklore and mythology.

Being with nature in the middle of a stand of trees in my favourite forest, I watch the stems at the top of the canopy sway from one side to the other. It is as if the tree’s arms are waving at me, saying hello and acknowledging my presence.  A small adjustment of the canopy to fully utilise each spare space around it allows the trees to capture enough energy showing their ability to shift, to physically move. Within this greeting comes microscopic action of the opening and closing of the tiniest holes that absorb this energy through the leaves; an action that resembles the blinking of an eye slowed down to the most insane level of speed. Is the tree seeing me through billions of eyes? As I move my gaze downwards, I run my hands over a thick, scaly bark, thick enough to protect vital components that allow the tree to live. I often wonder as I move my hands over the bark if the tree can feel my presence, if it can sense this action of a human hand falling in love with it, if it knows I am there. As I move further downwards to the roots, I remember a piece from a book that described how native people used to connect with trees via the roots and their own hair; a bit like a scene from Avatar.  Is any of this possible or real? How far can modern science test these scenarios?

When we want to smile at a cat, we make eye contact and blink slowly to establish a positive relationship. A simple hand gesture can be for a dog the difference between sprinting a hundred miles or sitting still to wait for the next command. Even for us humans, communicating our feelings can come simply from the roll of an eye or the drop of a mouth. Only a fraction of our communication is done verbally with all other species. Becoming much more aware of our own self presence and how this can have an effect on others gives us an indication of how invisible communication can have such a profound effect. It is this invisible communication that trees prefer. Whether it is an act of reciprocity with fungi underground in the soil or sending the alarm to their close relatives via chemical release when an animal starts chewing on their leaves, this communication is real. I once read a quote that said “If we can’t see it, feel it or touch it then it’s not real” however this is not something I can quite understand. For it is the metaphysical that gives rise to life. Its where the magic in this world truly lies.