Dear friends of trees,
The next large group TreeSpirit photo event will be held in May 2011. We’ll gather on rural Johns Island, SC (near Charleston) to make art to help this community save thousands of trees—and one giant, ancient tree, hundreds of years old: The Angel Oak Tree. A housing development will cut down the 40-acre forest surrounding the Angel Oak on 3 sides—and fill in a wetlands—to erect 600 housing units local citizens don’t want or need.
Email me now to join the guest list for the exact date and time of this event: CLICK HERE As always, people of all ages, sizes, shapes and ethnicities are welcomed and appreciated. The only requirement, what ties us always together, are our open hearts and love for trees and nature. See dozens of previous TreeSpirit Project photographs here: https://treespiritproject.com.
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Support this trip and its mission! Purchase the fine art Angel Oak TreeSpirit photograph in advance—for half-price—to support this event to save this amazing tree and its forest. CLICK HERE.
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| Angel Oak FUTURE TreeSpirit photo |
A signed 11×14″ fine art print is $125, regularly $250. A 16×20″ limited edition fine art print is $325, retail $650. Sizes up to 40×50″ are available. CLICK HERE
Help TreeSpirit highlight the critical role trees play in our lives, help a community of fellow tree lovers in South Carolina save their beloved tree, and get a stunning print of The Angel Oak.
LightSource lab in San Francisco is generously providing the Angel Oak TreeSpirit prints on 100% virgin tree-free paper.
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Google “Angel Oak Tree” to see hundreds more photos of this famous, giant southern live oak; evidence of how many Americans have visited her…and felt moved to make and share photos of their own.
The majority of Johns Islanders wants to preserve the wooded sanctuary that surrounds The Angel Oak Tree. Business-as-usual interests don’t care, want to sidestep community input, and start clearing the land of trees. A local citizen’s group—http://www.SaveTheAngelOak.org—has challenged the development in court, and invites public scrutiny and involvement. A TreeSpirit photograph will help draw attention and media coverage, to make the devastating plans more public.
The forest protects The Angel Oak from storm winds. The water table—which would be filled in and paved over—feeds her extensive root system. Both have done so for hundreds of years. This forest’s destruction would be a great environmental loss itself. Thousands of annual Angel Oak visitors would no longer enjoy this wooded retreat, but instead see and hear a housing project yards away. Wildlife habitat would be destroyed. (See the Before and After pictures.)
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| BEFORE and AFTER “development” |
The Angel Oak is ground zero for the latest of what I call an “Old Paradigm vs. New Paradigm” conflict. The Old Paradigm places profit and buildings above all else. The New Paradigm balances the benefits of development with the value and social and health benefits of parklands, trees and open space in our communities. Construction in the 21st century CAN be environmentally sound, benefit a community, and therefore win its support. Citizens can powerfully and peacefully challenge business and political interests that seek profits while threatening our health. Development need not equal devastation. But we must speak out, get involved, let our neighbors know what’s happening. This event is a safe, legal and dramatic way to do so.
SaveTheAngelOak.org has more information about the 2-year-old legal challenge, and shows a community caring about its trees, and precious rural countryside.
Our May gathering will be peaceful, simple, and dramatic. As always, the TreeSpirit photo event will be non-confrontational, respectful and sincere, all ingredients essential to the photograph’s success. The result will be a timeless image showing a gathering of people demonstrating their love…for a tree. How unusual, how lovely, how revolutionary, how crazy, how wonderful that people making art can have such impact. As always, each participant will receive a digital image (prints 8×10″) of the final photograph we make together.
To participate, join the Guest List for this event (emails are never shared or sold, not ever): CLICK HERE. Please share this posting with fellow tree and nature admirers.
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…The TreeSpirit documentary film, “Out On A Limb,” continues production! Director Navyo Ericsen and producer Larry Schlessinger will continue filming TreeSpirit photo events at The Angel Oak. See footage from the last TreeSpirit shoot in Humboldt County to save old-growth redwoods from a highway expansion: CLICK HERE.