I love trees.  They speak to me in ways that I can’t adequately describe. The sturdiness of their limbs, the roots reaching deep into the ground, the delicate leaves; all contribute to their timeless beauty.  Of course, trees are also practical. Trees keep the air clean by filtering carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen. One acre of trees removes almost 3 tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air annually.  I know these things, yet it is the smell of the forest that impresses me most.  The woody smell of bark, leaves, and dirt instantly calms me.  If I have been away for a while and I make it home to the national forest area near where I grew up, the first thing I do is roll the windows down.  The earthy smell of the oak and pine mixed forest brings an instant smile to my face.  For a brief moment in time, I am the woods and the woods are mine.

Deep in the forest, the sunlight peeks through a canopy of leaves as I walk.  It is shady and cool.  I feel protected and caressed. Trees shield me from the wind, they insulate me from the weather.  To walk in the woods on a rainy day is a delight.  I can hear the rain falling on the leaves in a gentle patter.  I smell the rain and the trees mingled together.  If you listen closely, you can almost hear the trees soaking up the water through their gnarled roots.

It is quiet in the woods. Trees reduce noise through something called attenuation.  This means that they absorb and deflect sound waves. To walk in silence with only the song of birds is a joyful experience.  In daily life, we are confronted with noise.  Buzzes, beeps, hums, an endless cacophony.  In the woods noise often melts away.  The trees filter the sounds of the outside world, leaving only the gentle whisper of their leaves.  I can close my eyes and hear their rustling song, a lullaby.

I am drawn to trees.  I run my hands down their scarred bark and wonder what made the cuts and knots.  I touch the roots and marvel that a massive organism can be held in place by such small tentacles.  I feel the moss on the trees surface and run my hands along the carpet of green.  My grandfather taught me to navigate my way in the woods using the positioning of the moss as a guide, and how use moss to treat wounds.  But the beauty of moss in an old growth forest still takes my breath away. The textures of the trees surface in my hand provides connection with the Earth.

There are over 60,000 species of trees on the planet.  Many of them I will never see.  But each time I encounter a new species, I am drawn to it.  My husband calls me a tree-hugger.  I’ll own that title proudly.  In Hawaii, I encountered a bamboo forest for the first time.  The mature plants were so tall I could not see the sun.  They swayed back and forth in the wind, creating a natural wind chime and I was mesmerized.  There, I also encountered an ancient rainbow eucalyptus tree.  Its bark was smooth and cool.  As I laid my cheek on the colorful trunk, the crisp clean scent of the tree washed over me.  It is this way each time I encounter a new species of tree.

Trees are alive.  Scientists now know that they communicate with each other through their root system and the chemicals that they emit when they are under attack by insects.  Scientists describe it as an underground internet that connects the entire forest.  Perhaps we are more connected to trees than we realize.  I know that I feel deeply when I see trees that have been cut down for no obvious reason.  I cringe when forest and mountainside are destroyed to create a quarry.  When electric companies and highway departments conduct their annual “raping of the trees” in order to make sure that limbs don’t fall on power lines or roadways, I want to cry.  I know the trimming is necessary, but the machines they use leave the trees twisted and lopsided, and bare.  The birds and small animals that call the trees home are displaced. The sight leaves me saddened and diminished.  I am genuinely sorrowful, the way you might feel when something horrible happens to a friend.

Perhaps I sound foolish. Perhaps I am. I only know that trees speak to my soul.  Science tells us that trees are good for our mental wellbeing. They release chemicals called phytoncides. They can help us reduce blood pressure, lower anxiety levels, and increase pain thresholds. I don’t really know how all that works.  I only know that trees are fascinating.  They are timeless and beautiful.  They calm and protect.  They are a shelter and a blessing. I am thankful for the gift of trees.

Sometime soon, walk in the forest alone.  Use your senses to smell, see, hear, and feel.  Perhaps the trees will speak to you as they do to me, if you take the time to notice.