Dieu des arbres

Forest path on the mountain, in Parc Mont-Royal

Ever since we lived with a Quebeçois family for a month, prior to buying our place in Montreal, we've laughed about, but come to really appreciate, the French attitude toward nature. Think Jacques Cousteau waxing rhapsodic about (and anthropomorphizing) the migrating salmon, or the incredible journey of the eels to the Sargasso Sea; think "Winged Migration;" think the movie about the penguins... The woman we lived with was a great lover and protector of all living things, and one of those was a big tree in her back yard, which leafed out during the month of May that we were there. When we admired it, she told us that she had had quite a time with the man in back of her, who wanted her to cut a big limb because it was shading his hot tub. "I don't consider that I own the tree," she said. "It's on my property, but that just means I am its caretaker. The tree belongs to all of us who live here, but it has its own rights." This became a favorite phrase of ours, and now whenever we see the "horticulture" signs and the city trucks going around doing pruning of street trees - sometimes meeting resistance from the local residents - we smile and repeat, "Trees have rights!" I love it that people in the city feel that way, and that many of them are such staunch defenders of greenness. One of the best parts of living in the Plateau are the tree-lined streets, with their combination of young and old trees of many species, each with their own personalities and quirkiness, many planted around with flowers or other plants by the nearest neighbors.

So when I told J. what I had written about in the last post, he said, "I forgot to tell you. You know the big tree in our neighborhood that got hit by lightening and had to be cut last week?"

"Sure,"I said. "I saw that the city had cut it - I stopped to look at the stump and count the rings - there were way too many. It was a really old tree."

"Well," he said, with a little wistful smile on his face, "the other day when I went up the street, there was a woman standing there next to it, and when I went by I heard her saying a prayer in French for the tree."

Comments

[Richard Lawrence Cohen]

Lovely thoughts, and perhaps trees also pray for us.

Mr. Golbey has an excellent post on a similar subject here.

[marja-leena]

Once again I've learned something new and wonderful about the Quebeçois, thank you. The Finnish culture is very tree and forest loving, and of course our west coast is famous (or notorious, depending on your point of view) for treehuggers. In the city we do have battles over trees blocking views, to cut or not cut. There are bylaws now against cutting larger trees unless diseased. Lack of sunlight when the neighbours' trees become a huge tall forest is another contentious issue. Years ago we had to cut down our big maple because it was rotten in the core - we still miss its character and the shade it gave us on hot summer afternoons - but not the masses of leaves that came down in wet November! I guess we have mixed feelings about trees based on their impact on us personally.

[anna]

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

-- Joyce Kilmer

[Dave]

Great post - definite FOTT material! Thanks.

[udge]

I find the idea of saying a prayer for the tree very appealing.

BTW in Germany any tree more than X metres high, or whose trunk is more than Y centimetres in circumference one metre above the ground, belongs to the city -- no matter who planted it or where it stands. One needs "building permission" to cut it down or even transplant it.

[Scott]

Have you noticed the particulary thick canopy this year? Is she fighting back? Or perhaps answering prayer. Either way, I hope.

[maureen]

Wonderful post -- I agree that we are not the "owners" of trees -- or of anything else in Nature -- but are merely the caretakers. If only people would believe that way in their hearts, perhaps we would take better care of Mother Earth. Thank you for sharing the story of the old tree that was cut down -- and the woman who prayed for the tree. I also pray for all tree-caretakers. That we will know how to nourish and love the trees in our lives. Thanks for your contribution to the Festival of Trees. Nice one!

[Jean-Olivier]

It's a quality I wasn't conscious we (Quebecois) had and I am glad we have it. Too bad we keep cutting the Forêt Boréale like crazy. Maybe we should pray or go there and hug those poor trees...

[Jean-Olivier]

To udge: in all cities, in Quebec, we have similar laws. For example, in Lorraine it's any tree with a diameter larger than 5cm... You can actually buy trees that small at your local Home Depot!

[Mouse]

A smile from an old tree_hugger...

[autumnmoon]

I love to read you

[autumnmoon]

I love to read you

[Brice Steele]

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