There are four sycamore trees along the edge of a property known as “the Wilderness” in my town. I’m constantly in awe of their magnificence every time I walk by, which is often, and have wondered how old they are. I wanted to measure them this week but the snow is too deep to get around them. So, I guesstimated the diameter as 50” which would make them around 200 years old. Seems about right, although I think it might be a little underestimated.
The 5 acre site, where they sit along the edge, is private property that once provided shelter for soldiers and a family in a root cellar during the War of 1812 as the town burned down. The house on the property was built in 1816 and is currently occupied. One mile creek meanders through.
The Wilderness has historical significance. Besides its natural beauty, it was once the home of William Claus, Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Department and one of the three trustees of the Six Nations. This next part makes me grimace a little. It is said that it was given by the Six Nations Indians to Mr. Claus’ wife Nancy Johnson “in token of her many deeds of kindness.” Her father Sir William Johnson negotiated the Treaty of Niagara with 24 Indigenous nations in 1764. The Treaty formed the basis for the original treaty relationship between Indigenous peoples and settlers in Eastern North America. It was considered a high point of colonial relations with Indigenous peoples, a treaty of sharing of the land, not conquest.
Last year I discovered a map that shows the locations of brutalist architecture in Toronto. I know that brutalist architecture is not this week’s topic, but when I found that map, I also discovered the company published a map of ‘Great Trees of New York City.’
I’m not entirely sure we here in urban Toronto treat trees with the respect they deserve. At least, we haven’t in the past.
When we moved onto the street we live on, about 18 years ago, half the trees on our side of the street were dying, trapped in concrete containers. Many of the trees were replaced in 2009, and are doing considerably better, though the one outside our house bears the initials of a bored young man who was doing house repairs (oh, the irony). Gradually, our canopy is growing, and I hope that decades from now people can tour these venerable trees. Everything starts young.
One of the oldest trees in the city is a red oak, some 250 years of age, and a survivor of logging, clearance for agriculture and the building of a suburban neighbourhood in the early 1960s. The owners of the property on which it resides tried to remove the tree a couple of years ago as it was damaging the house foundation, and the city ended up buying the property to save the tree (a fundraising campaign raised half the money), and created a parkette. Score one for the trees.
Our neighbourhood cemetery, where we often walk in the morning, is home to a diverse collection of trees, presumably added as memorials for loved ones. One of my favourites is near the entrance. I think it’s a beech, and it’s bark reminds me of the skin an elephant. It has a weight, a gravity and a sense of permanence, much like the headstones and memorials at the Necropolis, though far more interesting to view..
I’ve joked in past that my knowledge of the natural world can be divided into awareness of ‘tree’ and ‘not a tree.’ That’s not entirely true, and through a drawing class I’m taking, I was loaned a 1950s textbook that shows how to draw different species of trees. For me, it’s a different way of paying attention to trees. I think my hand-drawn trees will bring me closer to really appreciating them as individual.
So much here, Tim. I had to look up ‘brutalist architecture.’ Wow.
It’s amazing how some of the oldest trees in urban areas are still here due to luck (avoiding clearing, building, burning, storms, etc) and their own resilience. Often, they need a human or humans to stand up for them against great resistance.
I love maps and I think it’s a great idea to map your place in different ways - trees, buildings, animal sightings, favourite walks, etc. The possibilities are endless. Thanks for the info on the map site.
I got my daughter a walking map of San Francisco with famous sights, would be great to have a Walking Tree Map of different places, like the one for NY city.
Amazing idea, I love the drawing of trees to pay attention, and to deepen the connection! Thinking of trees as individuals is bringing them the respect and attention they deserve. If more of us felt like this, out nature appreciation would increase! Thanks for sharing Tim all you wonderful thoughts and observations!!
Not sure how this site works. Do I have to go through substack each time? Where do I post a photograph related to the practice? Do I #seeingyourplace2022 the photo? I find your posting interesting and engaging, so I'd like to more easily do the right thing. Could someone email me with tips. jerryjsnow@gmail.com
Hi Jerry, you can comment on here and/or post photos on Instagram. Just add the hashtag #seeingyourplace2022 in the description field on IG. That way when someone clicks on the hashtag they’ll see all of the photos for this project, including yours. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for sharing The Tree Witness Program Kim. How Spectacular!! I LOVED watching the video-how inspiring and simply beautifully done!! Telling the story of a community through its trees is a fantastic way to connect people, trees, and history! "It’s a way to engage the community and help residents to see trees as fellow inhabitants with their own history."
Hopefully it will increase awareness and encourage people to see the value of preserving these trees. Trees can connect people too. I felt this in the video! You cannot judge a tree by its bark, it simply is a unique being. We can learn much from trees about how to accept and appreciate people. I remember the lovely children's story, The Giving Tree. That tree came alive for me through the story. The trees came alive for me in your Tree Witness Program video! Indigenous communities spent much time around trees. There are less trees now around to see and appreciate. In some communities people have to go to Parks and Forest Preserves to experience trees. That is wonderful, but not the same as living with the trees. There is not the close & natural connection. Nature Deficit Disorder is too common in both children and adults. Where we live now used to be covered with trees. You have probably heard of the book, The Forest Unseen by David Haskell, 2013. Interesting book!
There are four sycamore trees along the edge of a property known as “the Wilderness” in my town. I’m constantly in awe of their magnificence every time I walk by, which is often, and have wondered how old they are. I wanted to measure them this week but the snow is too deep to get around them. So, I guesstimated the diameter as 50” which would make them around 200 years old. Seems about right, although I think it might be a little underestimated.
The 5 acre site, where they sit along the edge, is private property that once provided shelter for soldiers and a family in a root cellar during the War of 1812 as the town burned down. The house on the property was built in 1816 and is currently occupied. One mile creek meanders through.
The Wilderness has historical significance. Besides its natural beauty, it was once the home of William Claus, Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Department and one of the three trustees of the Six Nations. This next part makes me grimace a little. It is said that it was given by the Six Nations Indians to Mr. Claus’ wife Nancy Johnson “in token of her many deeds of kindness.” Her father Sir William Johnson negotiated the Treaty of Niagara with 24 Indigenous nations in 1764. The Treaty formed the basis for the original treaty relationship between Indigenous peoples and settlers in Eastern North America. It was considered a high point of colonial relations with Indigenous peoples, a treaty of sharing of the land, not conquest.
Those trees have witnessed a lot.
Trees
Last year I discovered a map that shows the locations of brutalist architecture in Toronto. I know that brutalist architecture is not this week’s topic, but when I found that map, I also discovered the company published a map of ‘Great Trees of New York City.’
https://bluecrowmedia.com/products/great-trees-of-new-york-map#:~:text=The%20Great%20Trees%20of%20New,Camperdown%20elm%20in%20Prospect%20Park
I’m not entirely sure we here in urban Toronto treat trees with the respect they deserve. At least, we haven’t in the past.
When we moved onto the street we live on, about 18 years ago, half the trees on our side of the street were dying, trapped in concrete containers. Many of the trees were replaced in 2009, and are doing considerably better, though the one outside our house bears the initials of a bored young man who was doing house repairs (oh, the irony). Gradually, our canopy is growing, and I hope that decades from now people can tour these venerable trees. Everything starts young.
One of the oldest trees in the city is a red oak, some 250 years of age, and a survivor of logging, clearance for agriculture and the building of a suburban neighbourhood in the early 1960s. The owners of the property on which it resides tried to remove the tree a couple of years ago as it was damaging the house foundation, and the city ended up buying the property to save the tree (a fundraising campaign raised half the money), and created a parkette. Score one for the trees.
Our neighbourhood cemetery, where we often walk in the morning, is home to a diverse collection of trees, presumably added as memorials for loved ones. One of my favourites is near the entrance. I think it’s a beech, and it’s bark reminds me of the skin an elephant. It has a weight, a gravity and a sense of permanence, much like the headstones and memorials at the Necropolis, though far more interesting to view..
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZMi0FOO8XO/
I’ve joked in past that my knowledge of the natural world can be divided into awareness of ‘tree’ and ‘not a tree.’ That’s not entirely true, and through a drawing class I’m taking, I was loaned a 1950s textbook that shows how to draw different species of trees. For me, it’s a different way of paying attention to trees. I think my hand-drawn trees will bring me closer to really appreciating them as individual.
So much here, Tim. I had to look up ‘brutalist architecture.’ Wow.
It’s amazing how some of the oldest trees in urban areas are still here due to luck (avoiding clearing, building, burning, storms, etc) and their own resilience. Often, they need a human or humans to stand up for them against great resistance.
I love maps and I think it’s a great idea to map your place in different ways - trees, buildings, animal sightings, favourite walks, etc. The possibilities are endless. Thanks for the info on the map site.
Drawing is a perfect way to really pay attention. You might enjoy this video - https://www.contemplativemind.org/archives/1663
I got my daughter a walking map of San Francisco with famous sights, would be great to have a Walking Tree Map of different places, like the one for NY city.
Amazing idea, I love the drawing of trees to pay attention, and to deepen the connection! Thinking of trees as individuals is bringing them the respect and attention they deserve. If more of us felt like this, out nature appreciation would increase! Thanks for sharing Tim all you wonderful thoughts and observations!!
Not sure how this site works. Do I have to go through substack each time? Where do I post a photograph related to the practice? Do I #seeingyourplace2022 the photo? I find your posting interesting and engaging, so I'd like to more easily do the right thing. Could someone email me with tips. jerryjsnow@gmail.com
Hi Jerry, you can comment on here and/or post photos on Instagram. Just add the hashtag #seeingyourplace2022 in the description field on IG. That way when someone clicks on the hashtag they’ll see all of the photos for this project, including yours. Let me know if you have any other questions.
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/seeingyourplace2022/
Thanks for sharing The Tree Witness Program Kim. How Spectacular!! I LOVED watching the video-how inspiring and simply beautifully done!! Telling the story of a community through its trees is a fantastic way to connect people, trees, and history! "It’s a way to engage the community and help residents to see trees as fellow inhabitants with their own history."
Hopefully it will increase awareness and encourage people to see the value of preserving these trees. Trees can connect people too. I felt this in the video! You cannot judge a tree by its bark, it simply is a unique being. We can learn much from trees about how to accept and appreciate people. I remember the lovely children's story, The Giving Tree. That tree came alive for me through the story. The trees came alive for me in your Tree Witness Program video! Indigenous communities spent much time around trees. There are less trees now around to see and appreciate. In some communities people have to go to Parks and Forest Preserves to experience trees. That is wonderful, but not the same as living with the trees. There is not the close & natural connection. Nature Deficit Disorder is too common in both children and adults. Where we live now used to be covered with trees. You have probably heard of the book, The Forest Unseen by David Haskell, 2013. Interesting book!