We all have at one time in our life experienced a tree in one way or another.
We climbed trees with our friends seeing who could climb the highest, built a tree house that was our refuge, walked through a cool dense forest in the springtime, plucked a plump red apple off a tree, speculated on what kind of a tree we would be.
On a hot summer evening, did you run to a tree for safe base when you played tag?
Just as the rings of a tree embody the stories of the tree, so too we carry the stories of trees. These stories inspire us to renew our sense of wonder. They connect us to one another through shared experiences as they deepen our understanding to our connection with nature.
It was such a joy to share the creative papermaking process with adults and children alike last Sunday. Parent’s taught children. Children taught parents. Onlookers eased in to join the fun. Stories were shared and trees were celebrated.
Many thanks to Artists Book House for sponsoring the event with the Evanston Arts Council Special Projects Grant. Additional confetti to celebrate community building activist Jamie Thome ; amazing artist, fiber and pulp provider Melissa Jay Craig; Evanston Library and librarian (now papermaker) Laura Antolin; volunteers extraordinaires Michael Swierz, Katie Kucera and ABH Intern Kerrigan; and to all who shared in the papermaking/tree storytelling event. It was beautiful!
“Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees” by Jared Farmer
Sunday, October 23 2022 – 1:00pm
Event Speaker: Jared Farmer
Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History
Upper Gallery, Widener Visitor Center Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania 100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Please join us on Sunday, October 23, 1:00–3:00 pm, for the official book launch of Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees, by prize-winning author and historian Jared Farmer.
Humans have always revered long-lived trees. But as Jared Farmer reveals in Elderflora, our veneration took a modern turn in the eighteenth century, when naturalists embarked on a quest to locate and precisely date the oldest living things on earth.
Moving from the ancient past to the present and traveling the world from India to Australia to Mexico to Wales, Farmer introduces readers to some of the most cherished remaining big old trees in existence while taking a deep dive into the botany of longevity and the discipline of tree-ring science. It is his hope that we can all channel our shared respect for these trees into collective action to preserve them for future generations.
A presentation by the author will be followed by Q&A and time for book signing. Advance registration is required, and space is limited.
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: All event registrants will receive complimentary admission to the Morris Arboretum on October 23 to spend time before or after the launch event to explore the grounds. Please visit www.morrisarboretum.org for hours.
In anticipation and celebration of the upcoming 2023 exhibition at Audubon, I’m combing the archives to honor the commensalistic relationship of birds and trees.
Here’s a wonderful chance to enjoy Martha Slavin‘s lovely post, pondering, curiosity, and exploration of nature complete with a multitude of links for further information. Grateful for the connection, Martha!
Treewhispers 