CURIOSITIES

With Autumn here, trees get a lot of attention. People plant trees as memorials to loved ones. On a larger scale, the organization One Tree Planted has planted over a million trees around the world. They have provided meaningful employment as well as worked towards their goal of affecting climate change. The significance of trees has caught the imagination of writers with books such as The Overstory, The Long, Long Life of Trees, and Finding the Mother Tree.

Trees are also the focus of the Treewhispers project created by Pamela Paulsrud, an artist and calligrapher, who works with groups to make paper rounds from shredded recycled paper. The wet pulp is spread inside small hoops. Once the paper is dry, each person writes a short story about their relationship with trees. The group attaches the circles to long cords. Pamela has created exhibits around the world using the thousands of circles she has collected. Her latest project included the Kalligrafos Calligraphy Guild. After making circles, the group suspended the rounds on long cords in the winter forest of the Thomas & Brenda Burns' property. People could then walk through the forest of trees and paper circles.

My vista is smaller. I've been picking leaves off the ground as I walk the neighborhood. I've discovered that we have 5 different kinds of oak trees on our street. I've collected red and black oak leaves, both deciduous oaks, and evergreen live oak, valley oak, and possibly netleaf leaves. The leaves of the deciduous and evergreen oaks are quite different, and I questioned why all these trees are classified as oak trees. Lucky for me, Google exists. I discovered numerous societies and studies dedicated to oaks. As I read through the information, I realized, once again, that real research on any subject takes time. A casual researcher like me can find possible answers from experts, but there is always lots more to learn and to verify by collecting data, comparing samples, and asking more questions.

Thinking back to my old science lessons, I assumed that trees could be identified by their leaves and bark. I had forgotten about cross-pollination and how important that is in the life of trees. Looking at the many oak trees in our neighborhood, especially along a creek, I laughed at the idea of these trees busily hybridizing themselves.

My next question: why are the leaves of the deciduous and evergreen trees so different? After reading many fact-filled articles, I concluded that deciduous trees use their leaves as protection from the wind, which is why their leaves are thinner and deeply lobed (valley oaks).  Evergreen oaks need protection from temperature changes so their leaves are smaller and thicker (live oak).

Big or small, our relationship with trees spans centuries. We climb them, we are sustained by their acorns and fruits, we build with their wood and use the wood for heating, we play with wooden toys, we plant them to provide windscreens to protect our crops, and we use the galls and nuts to make ink. 

Best of all, the last question is: 

What better way to spend a hot afternoon than under the shadow of a sheltering tree?

Good sources to understand tree identification:

https://calscape.org/loc-California/Quercus(all)/vw-list/np-0? 

https://www.hellis.biz/why-do-different-trees-have-different-shaped-leaves/

https://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/hybridization-quercus-seen-through-eyes-enthusiast

https://lizzieharper.co.uk/2013/10/botanical-illustration-compound-and-simple-leaves/

Check out Pamela Paulsrud's Treewhispers' blog:

https://treewhispers.com

Vimeos of Treewhispers exhibits:

https://vimeo.com/340542783

https://vimeo.com/612638534

Check out the Kalligrafos Calligraphy Guild:

https://kaligrafos.com

YouTube video about OneTreePlanted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC7QsnezCLc