Treestory: A Series for People Who Love Trees
Sophie with a Redwood
TreeStory has been created by writer and director Ward Serrill and Producer Sophie Jane Mortimer. Ward and Sophie filmed an interview with me some time ago and I am delighted that they have now launched their ‘online forest, a series of short documentaries for people who love trees.’ Ward explains what inspired TreeStory:
Every place I’ve every lived, as a boy in Alabama, as a young buck in Southeast Alaska or turning silver in the Pacific Northwest, I have gravitated towards one particular tree. Over time I developed a relationship with each of these trees, the maple in Alabama, the Cedar by the waterfall in Alaska or the Douglas Fir near my home in Port Townsend. For many years, I was afraid to admit that this relationship with a tree felt deep and personal. But when I began to tell people about it, I found I was not alone. Person after person confessed to me that they too had a special tree in their life and had a story to go along with it.
It was then I remembered a vow I made to the Alaskan cedar tree by the waterfall. With my head pressed close to it and eyes closed I promised it that someday I would work for the trees. Twenty years later, that promise became the seed for TreeStory, a series devoted to people who love trees.
Each month we will release a new episode on this Website for free and if you are inspired by the work we ask only that you help us produce the next episode with your contribution. With your help, we will go around the world, bringing the best TreeStories to life. Perhaps it will become a movement and inspire tree stewardship everywhere.
If you would like to get involved or would like more information do visit the TreeStory Website. Here is the first film featuring Trees for Life’s Alan Watson Featherstone talking about reforesting the Highlands.
4 Responses to “Treestory: A Series for People Who Love Trees”
On the eve of Thanksgiving, I can say I am thankful for Mr. Featherstone. My tree story is not nearly as impressive. I admire all trees. Dancing in the wind before a storm, shade on a hot day, a thing of beauty covered with snow. Leaves of gold, and red, buds of pink & white. I love them all. How proud I was of the pine seedling I brought home on Arbor Day. The joy of helping my Father plant them. How all these years later driving by the old house & seeing them still standing. My profound sadness when I see any tree cut down for a shopping center or housing development.
Hi ‘Willow’
What a wonderful picture you paint of yourself in your tree-covered homeland, and how you contributed to their development. I’m just starting here on one of the small Northern islands of Scotland which has been depleted of much of its tree population over the years. My wee copse I planted about five years ago is thriving despite the severe storm force wind conditions we get here on occasions, which is encouraging me to plant more. Happy Thanksgiving Day!
I love all trees but my favorite trees are the mighty Jarrah that grow around my Western Australian home, closely followed by their cousins, the Marri. A few are very good friends indeed. I am planting more trees and more understory plants to support them, and treating the introduced Dieback that plagues the Jarrah, where I can. Climate change is hitting them hard. In our harsh country of extremes, we are the testing ground for the effect of it. We have a tree planted by Trees for Life for my Scottish Stepdad. He loved trees too, especially one particular Liquid Amber here. It remembers his love.
One of my earliest memories is climbing up into the branches of the huge old Mimosa tree in the backyard of my Tennessee home. Getting to a high crook in the limbs and sitting in the cool shade with the scent of the blossoms, that I called powder puffs, all around me. Watching the birds above and the butterflies on the blossoms. I sat for hours or wandered among the limbs all day. It was my own secret place that always made everything O.K. I didn’t know then that the warm good feelings I had while in my tree were peace and contentment; only that I felt loved and at home. Now in my 60’s, that feeling has lasted my entire life. Just stepping under a tree, into the woods or lying under a hardwood giant looking up through the branches still brings the same peace and contentment to me that it did when I was 6 years old. I knew then as I do now that I was part of that tree as it was a part of me. I will never forget my old Mimosa friend. The smell of Mimosa blossoms still reminds me of my connection to the world through trees that always welcome me wherever I go.
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