Comment | It's cool to be a tree hugger
Simply stated, humans take trees for granted.
We seem to forget the benefits a tree, or multitudes of trees, provide.
Don’t get me wrong, trees are part of who we are. Trees played a major role in the British colonization of America. The British wanted the tall eastern forests to expand their powerful wooden naval fleet. Today, fruit and wood provided by trees are the raw materials for a large number of jobs and economic activity, just think home-building, almonds and apples.
Yet, on a day-to-day basis, we forget that these living organisms – yes they are alive – provide so much to our existence and to the ecology of the planet, and ask so little of us in return.
'Lost' Bernheim golden eagle found alive
Trees hold our precious soil in place and help build new soil. They act as shelter and food for innumerable species, from the minute leaf-eating insects, which nourish birds, to numerous mammals that rely on fruit and nuts for winter sustenance.
Trees are the first and only all-natural air conditioners. Shade and evaporative cooling have given respite for humans since we stood upright. Today we know this simple biological/physical process of cooling air is critical to the survival of our rapidly heating cities, including Louisville. To do all this and more, all trees need and cannot ask for is the sun, water, soil and reasonable space.
Trees are so much more than basic providers of life; they act as a natural muse for our imaginations, creativity and scientific discovery. Many a great horror story starts in a forest in the dark of night, where trees very shapes seem to morph into all kinds of creatures from the unknown. Trees are beautiful. It is no accident that Disney World has a majestic tree as the central point of its theme park, Animal Kingdom.
Bernheim art on display at Carnegie Center
We all know the story, urban myth or not, that Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity by being hit on the head by a falling fruit as he sat under an apple tree. Look online for “quotes about trees” and hundreds appear, from the earliest written words to rock and roll lyrics.
For me, the most significant role a tree can play is that of a natural playground for a child. Climbing a tree is a gift, a joy, an adventure and a learning experience that unfortunately is being lost for most children today.
Being called a “tree hugger” is meant to be a negative profile and an insult by some. But at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, where we strive to connect people with nature, hugging a tree is an act of freedom. It is a statement that we choose to have a healthy, green and prosperous future for Kentucky.
In conjunction with our temporary exhibit, "Vanishing Acts: Trees Under Threat," we invite everyone on Saturday, June 4, to join us at Bernheim as we attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people hugging trees simultaneously. The current record of 1,200 hugs is held by South Korea. It would be wonderful to have this tree-hugging record in our state, which is so proud of its verdant land, yet one that has historically based a large portion of its economy upon the mostly unsustainable extraction of minerals and timber.
We can choose a future where we acknowledge the importance of trees in our ecological systems, to our health and well-being, and as a part of a vibrant sustainable economy. Join us on June 4 at the Bernheim Big Tree Hug Challenge from 12 to 4 p.m., with the record-breaking hug occurring at 2:30 p.m. To hug a tree is simple; to interpret that hug is much more meaningful. Let’s hug a tree together and send a message to the world!
Mark K. Wourms is the executive director of the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest.