Celebrating Trees

The loss of a tree in Washington Park yesterday inspires contemplation of trees and their value, both to the environment and to our overall well-being. Coincidentally, and also appropriately, next Saturday, August 1, is the opening of an exhibition of the work of Kim Bach at Cornell Cooperative Extension's Agroforestry Resource Center titled The Secret Life of Trees. 

Of the exhibition and trees, Bach made this statement:

I am obsessed with trees, the magic they create, the coolness they provide, the wonder they inspire. One of my earliest memories is of a tree next to a polo field in Lima, Peru. I sat for hours nestled in the branches of that tree, feeling safe and adventurous as I gazed quietly down on the world.

In the last nine years, I have walked the ancient Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage routes through Spain and Portugal. Each time, varying in length from 100 miles to 500 miles, the adventures have taken me through woods, meadows, forests, and streams in all kinds of weather. Sometimes, I walk alone, but at other times I get to share the awe of a moment with another. Either way, the wonder of it always surprises me.

The same sense of peace often follows me into the studio at the back of my house, which is an inspiration in every season. The changes in leaf colors, weather, birds, wind, and temperature are constant. Those trees are my best studio models.

The opening of The Secret Life of Trees takes place from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1. The Agroforestry Research Center is located at 6055 Route 23 in Acra. This map will help you find it.