Day 1 Greeting the tree you have chosen

We are excited that you have joined us for this new journey!

We are looking forward to your feedback to support our community projects going forward.

Welcome to day one!

Going out

Today’s exploration is to go out and meet a tree near to where you live to spend your week with. It can be a tree you know already or a tree you have noticed or a new tree, that you haven’t met before.

Look at the tree as you slowly walk towards it and notice the shape that the tree grows in and do some wondering.

I wonder, where does it feel like the tree starts? Is it as you step under the tree boughs? Is it as you step over the trees root system?

I wonder, how do the branches and twigs grow? Where do they start and end?

I wonder, how do they flow from one to another?

I wonder, which is the oldest branch?

Take some time to look up at the branches and twigs, the light through the leaves and blossoms.

Take some time to look down at the ground and how the tree is growing out of the ground.

I wonder, how long the tree has been here?

Take some time to walk around the tree, noticing the shape from different sides.

I wonder, why does the tree grow this way? I wonder, how are these shapes made?

Walk away until you can clearly see the shape the tree grows in and take a mental snap shot to hold onto until you get home or back indoors.

Going in

Use a piece of paper and whatever pens/pencils/paints you have to draw a picture of your tree- artistic merit is not the key here, draw your memory of the tree- the overall shape and feel of being by it. Was it more upright or more bowed over? Was there a main trunk and then lots of leaves like lollipop shape or did it have more than one trunk? Were the branches going up or out or down?

Map it out in as much “impression of” detail as you can recall- without getting too bogged down in the details!!😊.

This is Carol's!

Going on

Finally for today, we would like to share this reflection. You may wish to take it to your tree to read it, or to give yourself a bit of contemplation time...