Loved this, Varun. I'm glad you had an excellent trip!
Adam is a good person to spend time amongst the trees with, he's very knowledgeable and quite good at identifying a lot of them. He's taught me a lot!
Robin Wall Kimmerer is also a 5-star person to spend any time with, especially outdoors. Braiding Sweetgrass is one of my favourite nonfiction books of all time. Have you read Gathering Moss? If not, I highly recommend it.
She's also on an episode of Ologies (moss) and her voice is so soothing, it's a wonderful listen.
"Just as we might visit an aged relative, giving nothing but the gift of company and camaraderie, so do I visit trees" - getting strong Nan Shepherd vibes from this! She said something about visiting the Cairngorms like you visit an old friend, just to be in each others' company.
Finally, a quick potential correction, if you'll permit me: if that last photo is of the lone tree in question, it's not a rowan. Looks more like a hawthorn to me :)
You're very right, Adam (and generally, knowledgeable tree people) are great to hang out with! I have learned a lot from good bird watchers, now to learn from tree huggers!
I am working through Robin Wall Kimmerer's work after hearing that very podcast - probably cognitive bias, but she sounds like a mother's voice. I read Braiding Sweetgrass in the same contexts I used to read The Living Mountain. It seems like while the latter breeds awe in nature, the former cultivates respect and deep admiration. Only fitting that you should quote Nan Shepherd here :)
Re: tree, I'm unsure now on my pictures as I have some berries (which I think are Rowan) and the tree does look like a hawthorn. TBC!
Oak trees are fabulous - there is just something about the unique squiggly pattern of the bark and the way the branches grow, and the deep deep green of their leaves. I'm incredibly lucky to live close to some beautiful long oak avenues, it's not called Cheshire oaks for no reason - a haven of calm next to the crazy consumerism shopping outlet.
Oh, how joyous! There is a certain something about oaks, you're right - a presence, a sense of venerable age perhaps? Part of my goals this year is to grow more proficient at identifying more trees, but I will always gravitate to oaks!
Relish is a great word for it. If only as an excuse to go for a walk somewhere nice, going to visit trees is a joyous and peaceable thing to do for sure!
Loved this, Varun. I'm glad you had an excellent trip!
Adam is a good person to spend time amongst the trees with, he's very knowledgeable and quite good at identifying a lot of them. He's taught me a lot!
Robin Wall Kimmerer is also a 5-star person to spend any time with, especially outdoors. Braiding Sweetgrass is one of my favourite nonfiction books of all time. Have you read Gathering Moss? If not, I highly recommend it.
She's also on an episode of Ologies (moss) and her voice is so soothing, it's a wonderful listen.
"Just as we might visit an aged relative, giving nothing but the gift of company and camaraderie, so do I visit trees" - getting strong Nan Shepherd vibes from this! She said something about visiting the Cairngorms like you visit an old friend, just to be in each others' company.
Finally, a quick potential correction, if you'll permit me: if that last photo is of the lone tree in question, it's not a rowan. Looks more like a hawthorn to me :)
You're very right, Adam (and generally, knowledgeable tree people) are great to hang out with! I have learned a lot from good bird watchers, now to learn from tree huggers!
I am working through Robin Wall Kimmerer's work after hearing that very podcast - probably cognitive bias, but she sounds like a mother's voice. I read Braiding Sweetgrass in the same contexts I used to read The Living Mountain. It seems like while the latter breeds awe in nature, the former cultivates respect and deep admiration. Only fitting that you should quote Nan Shepherd here :)
Re: tree, I'm unsure now on my pictures as I have some berries (which I think are Rowan) and the tree does look like a hawthorn. TBC!
Oak trees are fabulous - there is just something about the unique squiggly pattern of the bark and the way the branches grow, and the deep deep green of their leaves. I'm incredibly lucky to live close to some beautiful long oak avenues, it's not called Cheshire oaks for no reason - a haven of calm next to the crazy consumerism shopping outlet.
Oh, how joyous! There is a certain something about oaks, you're right - a presence, a sense of venerable age perhaps? Part of my goals this year is to grow more proficient at identifying more trees, but I will always gravitate to oaks!
I could sense the relish in this one. Good work. Providing companionship to lone trees is a valuable public service. The trip sounded lush too.
Relish is a great word for it. If only as an excuse to go for a walk somewhere nice, going to visit trees is a joyous and peaceable thing to do for sure!
Love this so much!