In the Presence of Trees

Wherever they grow, trees capture and record time. No small feat. Artists in our midst, they, too, capture time – time we all live through – for generations in future time. No small gift. Many specific trees shared here are now gone, others articulate losses much larger than their measure in cubic feet per cord – losses with planetary implications not just for humans, but for all sentient beings. But built into the life of a tree is a steadfast continuity beyond the drama and uncertainty of any personal or historical time. From seedling to full maturity trees micro-manage their own environments, above and below ground, and communicate with each other by intricate means of olfactory, chemical and electrical signals. Old trees, left to live, inherently hold the best adaptive genetics for new trees yet to come, with even their decay becoming fertile ground for growth and the promise of tomorrow.