Lucy Corkhill

By Lucy Corkhill

27th November 2012

National Tree Week from 24 Nov - 2 Dec is a perfect excuse to get out and about with the family, finding out about your wonderful local trees. There are events taking place up and down the country encouraging us all to take a more active approach in conserving and tending to the trees that give us life.

Lucy Corkhill

By Lucy Corkhill

27th November 2012

Lucy Corkhill

By Lucy Corkhill

27th November 2012

Make this the week you plant a tree in your garden. Check out the BBC website for some more advice on what to plant to encourage wildlife. There’s also a downloadable ‘Tree Bingo’ sheet on the website – fun for all the family! Why not get together with friends for a tree appreciation day, identifying and celebrating the trees in your locality and gathering to plant trees. Planting a tree can be a ceremonial activity, and is a wonderful way to bring a community together.

If you get a chance this week, take yourself somewhere quiet to sit with the trees. There’s a lovely meditation here for connecting with the vast and grounding energy of trees. Connecting with the things we want to protect helps us to understand what they need and how we can serve them. Being with trees is also an opportunity to say thank you for everything they provide for us – and give them a hug.

Ten reasons to hug a tree:
1. They give us oxygen. Without oxygen, we could not live
2. They provide us with shelter. Not just when it’s raining – wood is used as a building material in our homes
4. They provide us with warmth
5. They are home to literally thousands of creatures, from insects and mammals to birds
6. Their roots hold the earth in place and prevent erosion and flood damage
7. They provide medicine
8. They fight climate change
3. They provide us with paper
9. They feed the soil
10. They are beautiful, gentle and wise

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