TreeHugging Is More Than Just Talk
by Dominic Muren, Philadelphia, USA on 04. 8.05
You all know that Treehugger is firmly rooted in progressive, stylish environmentalism. Consequently, our name is a little tongue in cheek, since this is the last place you will find hemp sandals and Grateful Dead T-Shirts. But maybe we spoke too soon; Believe it or not, a recent study found that more than 63% of Californians have, in fact, hugged a tree, some of them more than once...
Matt Weiser at the > ANWR News blog pointed us to a Christian Science Monitor article which indicates not only tree-hugging, but surfing, and even mud bathing are also not uncommon.
According to one Californian:
"I recommend that everyone do it," says Micaela Hoskins of San Jose, Calif., who is an enthusiastic hugger of trees. Her 5-year-old daughter seems to be a chip off the old ... trunk. "Rosemary hugged every tree she saw this past weekend as we were out walking," Ms. Hoskins says. "Tree hugging grounds you, somehow. It connects you to the earth and the sky."
I can't say I disagree, having hugged quite a few trees in my life. Maybe those Californians are onto something. Since it's springtime, and the weather is finally warming up, why not give it a shot. Find a friendly tree and give it a big old squeeze.
But they can keep their mudbaths. Ick.
:: Treehugging in California [by DM]
We have a lovely second growth forest here on our Indiana farm. We have several very large sycamores and black walnuts that are just perfect for hugging. My retired Marine husband hugs this one special tree every time we take a walk, he just adores it. I have several smaller trees I touch on our walks as well and when we replanted part of our field in trees, each one planted got a 'hug'. 95% of them made it through the harsh winter we had after they were planted and they are now coming on their 3rd summer of growth. No one else we've talk to has had such amazing success (and it isn't all soil and water since some of the places we planted were just crap for both). I think it had to be our care as we planted them.