People who will not sustain trees will soon live
in a world that will not sustain people.– Bryce Nelson
Trees purify the air; they also purify the mind…
if you want to save your world, you must save the trees.– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Trees of Endor
The human race will not survive without trees and forests.
Ecologically, trees are ancient allies.
Emotionally and spiritually, they are our dear friends.
Around trees, the vast majority of humans feel more alive, calmer, happier, more at home and at peace, as we do at the ocean, or beneath a starry night sky. Making TreeSpirit photographs is often an excuse for adults to forget their worries, become more “present” in the meditative sense of that word, and again simply play in nature, enjoying the wondrous outdoor adventures of childhood.
The experiences people have making TreeSpirit photographs are always fun, often adventurous, usually therapeutic, sometimes joyous — and occasionally healing.
Read TESTIMONIALS by participants.
TreeSpirit offers renewal in nature, and playfulness and peacefulness, but also has a larger purpose, with environmental, social, emotional and spiritual impact…
The MISSION of the TreeSpirit Project:
• To RAISE AWARENESS OF THE CRITICAL ROLE OF TREES AND FORESTS IN OUR LIVES — both globally and also personally — in this era of ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING.
Globally, because of all that trees and forests do to make our planet habitable and hospitable for us humans, and all others species; personally, because trees improve our state of being, our consciousness, simply by being in their presence.
We will not survive the greatest challenge we humans have ever faced — anthropogenic climate change, aka, human-caused global warming — without the world’s forests. Trees provide irreplaceable environmental service, including carbon sequestration and 25% of Earth’s oxygen production; help create and maintain our life-sustaining air, soil, water, habitat and planetary ecology for human, animals, insects and plants.
We humans need trees to survive. And on a personal level, we need trees in order to thrive. Trees enrich our daily lives in numerous, profound, often inexplicable ways; calming us, soothing us, inspiring us.
• To SPREAD APPRECIATION & LOVE FOR TREES and FORESTS EVERYWHERE with the 3 A’s of TreeSpirit: Art, Advocacy, and Activism. This includes photo events, activist events, retreats, presentations, and the ongoing collection of TreeSpirit photographs;
• To ENCOURAGE PEOPLE’S SENSORY, EMOTIONAL & SPIRITUAL CONNECTION to trees and nature. Go outside and spend more time among trees, every day, for immediate soothing, health benefits, and joy;
• To INSPIRE PEOPLE to express their own unique experiences and feelings for trees and the natural world, sending out new waves of hope, wonder and possibility into the ocean of humanity currently feeling disconnected from the world around us. Our sense of disconnection is what has brought us to the verge of overwhelming the ecosystem that sustains us, and that we share with all other life on Earth.
Although the making of each TreeSpirit image is a unique and unpredictable experience, being among trees and feeling connected to them is an ancient, reliable alchemy. Humans and trees have been connected, interdependent, for thousands of years — and we still are.
READ how being in nature promotes well-being (and being nature-deprived promotes depression): http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/enhance-your-wellbeing/environment/nature-and-us/how-does-nature-impact-our-wellbeing. In practical, scientific terms, we need trees to survive as a species.
READ MORE: Oh, what trees do for you.
We humans may only be here for a brief stay in the cosmic picture, but we have the tremendous power of free will to shape our world. Many of us in technologically advanced cultures have forgotten the ancient wisdom trees and other life forms patiently hold. Among them are the simple, profound feelings of wonder and joy of being alive.
If we cherish Earth’s myriad living creatures, or better still sense all lives as precious, we can alleviate tremendous and needless suffering, including our own. We can rekindle in our hearts a reverence for the interconnectedness of all living creatures, and feel the joy and wonder this realization brings.
Go out among trees, even hug some, and share with others what you feel.
– Jack Gescheidt, TreeSpirit Project founder, photographer
• Have questions? Want more information? Email Jack.
• Commune with the largest ancient trees on Earth, the giant sequoias of the Sierra Nevada mountains, on The Giant Sequoias Experience. CLICK HERE.
