A gray birch tree that stands alone throughout the year.
Mark Hedricks’ favorite tree is located in Big Meadows in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park.
This tree is part of a separate population that is a reminder of the Blue Ridge Mountains’ northern past. I came across that tree 20 years ago on my first hike through the prairie. For years, I’ve admired its beauty in all seasons, from the way its bark matches the winter snow to the way its catkins flutter in the spring breeze. I began a photographic journey documenting this tree through seasonal changes and weather patterns. At first they resembled muses, but later they became old friends. I frequently visit Shenandoah to hike trails and camp in the backcountry. No trip is complete without visiting my friend, my favorite tree.
Why do I admire this tree so much? I think part of it is its resilience.that it continues to thrive in southern latitudes long after that time; Prime is impressive. Of course, I admire its beauty. It looks amazing when the warm glow of the morning sun or the cool blue of the evening reflects off its bark. The sound of leaves echoing in the midnight sky. But that’s mainly because looking at this tree allows me to travel to the past, especially my past. In times of joy, in times of sadness, in times of sadness and loss, in times of marriage and childbirth. The seasons of my life follow the seasons of this tree.
I don’t have a school to visit where I can roam the hallways full of nostalgia for my formative years. The schools I went to were either bulldozed to concrete rubble or turned into warehouse space for hospitals. But this birch tree is still standing. For better or worse, it is essential to the continuous progress of life and nature. What’s even more ironic is that gray birch trees are generally short-lived trees.
The first time I took my daughter to a tree was when she was one year old. At that time, the meadow floor was littered with blue phlox. When she returned as her sister and showed the tree to her brother, in the fall when the meadows were dyed with the scarlet of wild blueberry bushes, she hugged it and said to her mother: Dad. “
From this moment, my belief that everyone should have a favorite tree was born.
I think most of us can agree that trees in general deserve admiration and respect. A 2020 Pew Research Center poll found that 90 percent of Americans support planting trees to absorb carbon emissions. There are not many issues that can generate such consensus. Trees provide shade as well as food and oxygen, increasing property value. When planted in urban environments, it has positive effects on both physical and mental health. They protect wildlife. Brook trout thrive when eastern hemlock provides shade in the mountain streams they inhabit. Wandering salamanders spend their lives atop the thick branches of towering redwoods. Trees inspire art and contribute to science.
But one favorite tree is something special. (As it turns out, I’m not the only one who feels that way. After writing this, I was very happy to learn that there are other works expressing similar sentiments. I wholeheartedly acknowledge that.) It gives you your own creature to admire and celebrate. , you will appreciate it over time. As you grow, your favorite tree will grow. Just like you, your favorite tree has an expiration date. If you don’t realize you already have one, take the time to find it and love it.
