the wonder is we can see these trees, and not wonder more

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words have never left me – when I find myself among trees they seem to always come back.

And the more that is being discovered about trees, the more wonder they seem to instil: their ability to communicate with one another in a variety of ways, the rich and very complex but very efficient system of soil, microbes and roots that works as an interconnected community, the transformation of light into food, and the incredible ability to draw water from roots to the tips of a tree. And then there’s just the feeling of standing beneath a tree, or leaning in to it. What does it make you feel?

The Lake District has some beautiful ancient woodlands and many wood pastures where some of the trees are extremely old. There are also many programmes involving planting and management of land to encourage natural regeneration. We’ll be thinking more about trees in June, but of course every time we go out for a walk, every time we look out of the window, there are trees, and the birds that go with them. And a cause to wonder.

The following images were taken over the first few months of this project. One, the single, beautiful, blossoming hawthorn was made yesterday.

Trees are awesome!