Arbor Day is tomorrow, so we wanted to share with you some tree-related resources to enhance your celebration of the trees and forests that give so much to us all year round.
First, we wanted to share again the recordings of the three online events that were held last year to celebrate the release of Orion Magazine's anniversary anthology Old Growth. Every one contains abundant gems of wisdom and a unique perspective on the life and nature of trees.
ON TREES: A Conversation with Peter Wohlleben, Jessica J. Lee, and Sumana Roy
Celebrating Old Growth: A Conversation with Robin Wall Kimmerer and Robert MacFarlane
The Language of Trees: A Conversation with Alison Hawthorne Deming and Kathleen Dean Moore
Next, we wanted to share a few encouraging environmental news stories from the past few years regarding trees and forests:
“Faith groups help to save disappearing forests,” UN Environment Programme, January 2023
“Using Science and Celtic Wisdom to Save Trees (and Souls),” New York Times, February 2023
“‘Magic in Her Hands.’ The Woman Bringing India’s Forests Back to Life,” New York Times, December 2022
“Qur’anic Botanic Garden celebrates Qatar Environment Day with wild desert tree restoration event,” Gulf Times, February 2022
“Brick by brick, tree by tree, Carmelite Missionary Sisters plant skills to limit Malawi’s deforestation,” Global Sisters Report, December 2021
“Ukrainian arborists saving centuries-old oaks near Gothic church,” Institute of Ecological and Religious Studies, September 2021
“Environmental Warriors: Buddhist Eco-monks and Tree Ordination,” Buddhistdoor Global, December 2020
“‘Laudato Tree’: healing the planet, empowering its people,” Vatican News, May 2020
And here are just a few of the projects in our Faith Action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals database engaging in tree plantings, reforestation efforts, and more:
EcoSikh: Guru Nanak Sacred Forest
Global Interfaith WASH-Alliance (GIWA): Tree Distribution Planting Program
Islamic Help: Children's Eco-Village + Trees for Change
Evangelical Churches Fellowship of Ethiopia (ECFE): Community Forest
Christian Fellowship Church (CFC): Tree Planting
Horn of Hope Vision for Peace and Development of Nigeria (HOHVIPAD): Tree Planting
High Atlas Foundation: Fruit Tree Planting
Education Commission for the Archdiocese of Lilongwe: Eco-Star School
Energizing Solutions: Greening Fridays
Aham Brahmasmi: Panch Mahabhutah Shanti Yatra (Eco-Devalya) and Panch Mahabhutah Shanti (Eco-Vatika)
And to close, we offer this poem by David Rosenthal:
Trees Need Not Walk the Earth
Trees need not walk the earth
For beauty or for bread;
Beauty will come to them
Where they stand.
Here among the children of the sap
Is no pride of ancestry:
A birch may wear no less the morning
Than an oak.
Here are no heirlooms
Save those of loveliness,
In which each tree
Is kingly in its heritage of grace.
Here is but beauty’s wisdom
In which all trees are wise.
Trees need not walk the earth
For beauty or for bread;
Beauty will come to them
In the rainbow—
The sunlight—
And the lilac-haunted rain;
And bread will come to them
As beauty came:
In the rainbow—
In the sunlight—
In the rain.
How Trees Talk to Each Other
Suzanne Simard
TED Talks