Journal, Oct 16 "Tree Walk"

TREE WALK - Todd Redman

Today, October 16th, is a chilly one, at least in my perspective.  I am not a fan of the cold, hence why I searched for colleges more south than Illinois, where I come from.  However, I felt that a good walk outside (with a jacket) could be refreshing this Monday morning.  So, I headed out for a little while and wandered campus.  We do have a beautiful campus, with perfect tan or sandy-brown buildings donning red roofs, and plenty of trees to line the walkways.  The trees are a special blessing, especially in the summer and spring when it gets very sunny and hot in Texas, because it provides shade for students walking from building to building for their classes.

Trees.  We take them for granted, but they are the lifeblood of our existence.  Literally, without trees to convert carbon dioxide back into oxygen for us to breathe, humanity would not continue to exist.  Appreciation for these pillars of support, figuratively and literally (in their shape), is much needed, and yet most of the time we do not look up to the tree and thank it as we walk across campus.

In my TCU campus wandering, I began to gravitate towards the Sadler area, facing University.  Along the side of some buildings, I saw some trees with little plaques, which at first I assumed was another recognition of a TCU donor.  But lo and behold, it was in fact a recognition of the tree!  On the little sign it said “TCU Tree Walk”, along with the name of the tree behind it.  For example, the first one that I spotted was the Mountain Laurel, with its scientific name alongside it.  

The Texas Mountain Laurel is a smaller tree than most on campus, only reaching about the height of my body, in contrast to how other trees are three humans tall with large branches looming above.  The Mountain Laurel tree's bark was rough to the touch, but not unpleasant to rub against.  To anthropomorphize it, I would say it was firm in its resolve to stand tall and proud, and yet it would not be rough or rude to others.  I observed how the base of the tree grew from the ground and branched out, and it did so similarly but differently to the other trees.  Trees usually follow the same formula: 1. connect to the soil 2. the wooden section reaches upwards 3. branches spread out and grow leaves to collect sunlight.  However, white following the 'formula', trees would have their own individual expression, such as how tall they grow, or how the tree branched out (one Holly tree had multiple arms sticking out from the ground), and these differences made each tree unique and special in its own way.  Just like with people, recognizing a living entity with its unique name and qualities creates a stronger understanding of and connection to that entity. 

            I didn’t schedule a tour to have a professional explain the trees to me, nor did I follow every tree as they were numbered (No. 1, No. 2 etc).  I did it at an unscheduled time, at my own pace, and I went back to my dorm when I was done.  Exploring the different trees let me see how unique and majestic each one was, and I gained more appreciation for these beings from nature.  It was a meaningful experience, and I did not need a scheduled time with a scheduled guide for me to appreciate the nature I was seeing.  Sometimes, all one needs to do to connect with nature is to step your foot out the door and go on your own little ‘tree walk’.