When we were all wandering around trying to find our own trees, squinting at the map, and stumbling over each other in all directions; we came across a huge tree surrounded by benches. There were four benches and there are four of us. It may be a strange coincidence, but either way we were drawn towards this tree. As we got closer to the tree, we all had our heads up looking at all of the branches with the sun shining through. Suddenly, we felt something hard underneath our feet. It was a plaque that stated this was not just an ordinary tree, it was the "Tree of Peace". It's hard to read, but under the title it reads "this tree is planted to heal our communities so that all nations will live in peace". We read that and everything just connected in our minds. Trees themselves don't bring people together. They're not much more than a place holder really. In the article Community programs promote tree care by Robert Sommer, we learned about an experiment on how planting trees can affect a community. When residents had trees plants in their yards, their overall satisfaction was really high. "The most evident social benefits of community planting programs were in neighbor assistance and friendships" (Sommer, p.25). Even though planting trees helped bring people together, it didn't form lifelong friendships for those residents. We all came to a conclusion that the tree was in a prime location on campus. It has many views considering that there are four benches to choose from. It doesn't matter which one we sat in though, we had an incredible view, shade, and a nice scent to go along with it. This area in front of Trinity hall provides a place to enjoy the scenery.
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The bark of a tree can tell many things about that specific tree. The amount of rings a trees has is can tell how old it is. The color can tell if that tree sees a lot of sun or if it's ever been burned before in a fire. The one thing it can't tell you is why it's there. Science can argue a lot of facts and what not, but we think that it's a form of fate. Almost as if a tree's location is the missing piece to a puzzle. The way humans, animals, and insects feel about a tree is quite interesting. “In all organisms, habitat selection presumably involves emotional responses to key features of the environment. These features induce the “positive and “negative” feelings that lead to rejection, exploration, and settlement" (Orians & Heerwagon, 1992). This quotation explain the pull anyone and anything has towards a tree or place that has value to them. Your emotions are the one thing that don't follow a script. When we were all here, sitting under this tree, just listening to the playlist of it's leaves in the wind; it was so serene. The benches that surround the Tree of Peaces act as a safety net. Stepping into this circle is like stepping through your front door step at home. When all your thoughts and emotions are at ease, that's when you know you've found the perfect place. Or better yet, the perfect home. There is nothing we would change about this place, other than the fact that more people need to visit it and experience what we did.
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References:
Orians, G. H., & Heerwagon, J. H. (1992). Chapter 15 evolved responses to landscapes. In The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the ___generation of culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sommer, R. (1997, September/October). Community programs promote tree care. California Agriculture, 23-25.
Orians, G. H., & Heerwagon, J. H. (1992). Chapter 15 evolved responses to landscapes. In The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the ___generation of culture. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sommer, R. (1997, September/October). Community programs promote tree care. California Agriculture, 23-25.