First of all it has to be mentioned that there were only women participating in the TREEhugger story-writing-contest. Well, I don’t know why. Maybe men think that it is a sign of weakness if you hug a tree. Or maybe they think that someone would be watching them and think that they’re crazy!
Hugging trees! What’s that?
Maybe women are a little bit more complex and therefore able to hug and feel a tree and even write a story about it. Women seem to feel more, or deeper and it looks like they are able to express themselves much better than men!
Trees are symbols of Life. Hugging trees means that you hug the nature! You hug a being that is alive! Actually you hug something that is not able to speak with you. You have to feel it!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-bCLapEJX8]
Are trees communicating?
Denise Gagné Williamson a wife and mother of two adult children, from Calgary, Alberta might be able to answer this question:
“Greetings Friend, You Are Welcome Here
We are in an age when the two-legged ones are finally waking up to the impact of their choices on the environment. Thanks to global events such as the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and films such as An Inconveniant Truth, the evidence of how human beings are changing their natural world is becoming indisputable.
I encourage and support all forms of conservation actions. From recycling pop bottles to political activism, and everything in between, we all have a role to play. All those behaviors come from a place of Head; of mental understanding, and are important. The purpose of this website, however, is to encourage connection and caring for the Earth from a place of Heart. My goal is to teach others to show the Earth the depths of their heart-felt love and appreciation. Even though love is intangible, it is the source of all healing.
I have been doing shamanic work, privately, in my own small way, since 2000. Trees have been my teachers. They have taught me how to sing to them, how to hear their songs, how to listen to their stories and bring healing and requests to them. These love-filled forms of communication are healing for them. In June of 2007, while on my annual vision quest, I was told by the trees that it’s time to bring these teachings to the world.
They love being sung to, they love being listened to and they would like for many, many others to bring them healing in these ways. If you are one of those who resonates with this call, then this website is for you.
The basic tools and techniques I suggest are absolutely free. This is my gift to the healing of the planet. Please feel free to learn from them and share them as much as you wish. There are other items and tools available for sale as well; but these are NOT essential to the basic teachings. They are there for those who wish to pursue certain aspects of the work more in-depth.”
Maybe you are wondering who the winner of the contest is?
Well, I’ve asked Mr. Kutti MC a.k.a. Jürg Halter to be the juror of this contest as he has done this already. But he didn’t reply to my request. Never mind. There is an other solution – a democratic one:
You can vote during one week only…
I would like to thank all of the writers for their stories and I hope that next year more people will try to win a Bao-T-shirt!
In the meantime you can train TREEhugging:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYRb64lYxbM]
Here are again all the MyTree.TV – TREEhugger-Stories 2010:
Tree Rivera said,
30/11/2010 @ 21:24
When I was growing up I always escaped to nature as a way to deal with adolescent life. I would take these long hikes on trails, find the loneliest looking trees and hug them, kiss them and be surrounded by their spirit presence. When I was younger being around the natural world inspired me to take up painting. The trees, animals, smell of the air and the clouds all inspired me in to wanting to paint.
Through the years I’ve always called myself an environmental artist because of this love for nature. I would often pick up trash on my nature walks and throw it in the can a little disappointed that people didn’t respect nature, but nothing more because well honestly “I wasn’t educated about the environment”. Until one day I spotted a “small looking trash gyre” floating in a lake co-existing with the duck life. That gave me the ideal to texture the base of a painting with trash. I knew it would make my paintings more futuristic and better there was a great message behind it. I fell in love with this technique and began using it as a step in my process of making art.
This little habit also led me to start researching about municipal waste, landfills, recycling, and natural resources. As I grew older and more aware of our environmental challenges I became concern with the kids of this world. I felt as if there wasn’t enough being done to educate kids, and lead them to better living practices which will also help us in making deep, and powerful changes for our life here on earth. I began thinking up creative ways to reach children through artwork shops. I began my true mission as an environmental artist whose purpose is to connect with kids and teens and use art as a way to spread consciousness in young people. Through environmental art programs kids are given a chance to establish a relationship with nature through taking field trips, learning about different conservation groups, working with environmentalist and also creating and contributing artwork to civic exhibitions.
The first Eco-Art project was in 2008 at Lincoln Child Center in Oakland, Ca where I was able to work with kids on a recycling art project. In 2009 I was able to travel to Miami; Fl to CO-developing an Eco-art program with a community based organization(s). My first project in Miami was an everglades awareness program. During the 3 month program elementary students were able to learn about the Everglades, create a tile installation of everglades critters but the best part was students also where able to travel with parents to visit the everglades; my second project was with Miami Youth Bridge Services working with a group of at-risk teens the program was focused on the ocean. Throughout the program I was able to join a group of teens with ocean conservation efforts and even had my students very inspired to create posters for a clean beach contest. No, we didn’t win but in our hearts we all won because each kid enjoyed the art project beyond measures seeing them happy made me personally feel like a winner. I have worked with the kids for the last 2 half years organizing these crazy Eco-art projects. During this time I learned so much about being a teacher, growing and knowing me as an individual, and also it was a good look in to the generation now, and the ones to come. I’ve learned that the best knowledge for kids is for them to learn how to grow their self love. In my programs kids do learn about the environment either by me talking to them lol (might sound like complaining), or through a guest environmentalist, or conservation group but one of my main focus in this is to help young people discover how special they all are from the inside to the outside, to share insight and hand them a tool like creativity and show them that us has “human beings” can/ and do make a difference when we take steps, and actions to make a difference. I think when kids start to become more conscious about whom they are, and how powerful their potential is then automatically we create caring people. Then automatically we can change the way our world is ran and in that is the best environmental approach to make a lasting change for live on earth.
Love and light, Tree
Lena said,
06/12/2010 @ 22:08
Here is my treestory;-)
)
Or better — one them.
I moved recently to another flat in Vienna, so now I miss a friend which I used to visit sometimes once in a while, because she was one of that beings who just cant make steps as we are used to do – because their ways of living is different and that difference makes us humans calling them trees.
When I saw her for the first time, i Iwas just so overwhelmed by the gift of seeing that – if you meet a person and you are overwhelmed by him/her, sometimes you are out of words, but as I don t talk to trees in words, but in thoughts or in my heart, I was standing there thoughtless for some moments of beauty — at some point I just assumed, that “it” is a “she”, but i don t remember why anymore – (I guess, because in German the word tree is masculine and I wanted to give it a chance not be masculine
It is one of the biggest trees I ever saw in Austria and sure I hugged her — as much as it is possible, but I think it needs about 8 people holding hands to surround it — you can better lean on her while standing on her huge roots.. The best thing was, when I visited her the second time I discovered a hole (don t ask me how I couldn t see it the first time, but if you see her, you might understand) – not too big, but just not too small for me to crawl in – and so I did – and I discovered something like a home for me;-) as I life in a city there is always some kind of artificial sound and it s so hard to escape — but in that wonderful tree it was all just suddenly swallowed and gone that this place became refuge for me.
The tree is mostly hollow inside and there is space for 2-3 (depends on the size) people standing. It s so wonderful in there, to feel the soul of that huge being. And the fact to be IN that tree gave me the feeling to be held by her and actually so I was hugged by a tree!!
I still didn t realize the dream to sleep in there — she s standing in a public park.. — but the next summer is coming;-)
And meanwhile I have to make a little journey to see her again.
Near my new home I met a new tree-friend – a real huge oak with three fat stems -you can climb on her and stand in between them – and when you see that big and firm tree, you would never assume that down at the stem it s moving — but it DOES! And that feels so wonderful too – and I came to the conclusion, that you have to stand still like a tree, if you want to see how it moves;-).
—So—thank you for reading!
I wish everybody a wonderful winter – watching the trees, with all the wonderful snow on their branches and the noises they make. And maybe we can do a bit of what the trees are showing us at the moment — when they go with all their energies and juices;-) back down to their roots and deep in the earth – so should we go inside us and down there, where we see that the earth is also holding us, as she is holding every tree and so be grateful for that and taking care after her!
Happy Christmas
Lena
Christine said,
13/12/2010 @ 15:28 · Edit
So here is me Tree-Hugger Story
Sorry for my bad english, now writing I’m realizing that I forgot almost everything, anyway
My story took place about 10 years ago. Near my home village there is a huge Openair and there I got to know what I called (as a 17 years old naive girl) the MAN OF MY DREAMS. We had some similar interests and we talked the whole night long. I fell in love with him. In that time I think i fell in love every 3 weeks
But this time, I was absolutly shure, I could never fall in love again in another man, I was sooo shure he was the one and only forever. 
The problem was, I had no phone number to call him. Fortunately I met him again some weeks later in a pub. We talked again for a long time but again I was to shy to ask for his telephone number. We talked about volunteer work with children. In that time I worked in an association in my home village where we tried to arrange leisure activity for the children in the village without getting money for our work. It is called “Blauring” “Jungwacht” or also “Pfadi”. In that time I just finished the “Leiter 2-Kurs” that mean I could have become the main-leader of that association. But I was not happy with the association because the other leader were no more interessed in doing a good job for the children but they only wanted to make party in the house especially built for the children. I was no more shure if I should take the place of the main-leader and to be annoyed at the behaviour of the other leaders all the time.
So that evening we talked about that work, he told me that he’s doing something like that too, with children and nature, called Youth and Nature.
So some more weeks passed and I was really unhappy that I didn’t ask him for his number. I couldn’t forget him. How laughable when I think about it now
Funny
Anyway, one day he called me. I was very very nervous and I was absolutly shure that he also fell in love with me, otherwise he wouldn’t have phoned everyone with the same familyname in the phonebook of my village to finally get me on the telephon wire
He told me that the next weekend he would go to a little walk with some friends in the mountains, sleeping in an alpine hut and asked me to come with him. I was ultra nervous and I was thinking that we would have a nice weekend together. I asked him if we only go for a little walk or if we would go hiking. He told me it would be a little walk and I wouldn’t need to wear hiking boots.
So that day it was not only a little walk, it was more like an 6 hour hike. But I was so happy to meet him again that I didn’t care about wearing ordinary sneakers, not really made to hike in the mountains. My feets were hurting, but I was happy. I said nothing and tried to walk as fast as possible with him. I was really happy, I thought that he would even introduce me now to his best friends. There were some peaple already waiting for us in the alpine hut. We had a nice evening, going outside, making a fire and talking half the night.
The next day they went up to that mountain, but I couldn’t go with them, because I had no good shoes. I was waiting during that time in the alpine hut. After waiting for hours they came back. They were very happy because they event could climb to the peak. So we walked together down to the village to go home. Again it was horrible because I had no walking boots, but I tried to stay cool
On that way we found a huge fir tree. It was really huge and we were very impressed. So we tried how many peoble are necessary to hug that tree. I don’t remember, I think it was 2 1/2 people standing around the tree. It was a unfamiliar feeling hugging a tree, because I never did that befor. I was a little irritated, because everybody in that group started to hug every tree that they could find telling me that trees are also creatures who need love. I never did that befor and I was wondering if they took drugs or why they all hugged trees. Anyway, even if i was a little irritated, I also hugged trees and even liked it.
So it looked like a ritual, they wanted to find out if I also like nature. So I passed their “Test”. Then they started to talk about that they would all be together in that association called Youth and Nature and they explained exactly that they would do there. So they asked me, if I would like to become a leader of Youth and nature, because nobody of them ever made a leadercourse and they would need somebody, to become the mainleader, otherwise they wouldn’t be allowed anymore to work with the children. I told them, that I was not shure and I was very very disappointed that my “darling” was absolutly not in love with me, but was only interested in me, because I made that course and could have rescued their association. When I think about that story today, I have to laugh.
I mean, I was very young and naive.
Some years later I met that guy again and I couldn’t remember why I was sooo in love with him
He was absolutly not my type!
But the essential of that story is that I hugged a tree the first time and I think that was a great experience. I shoud do that more
Xóchil A. Schütz said,
15/12/2010 @ 04:31
Hi Stefan!
Hab gerade total viel Arbeit, aber auf die Schnelle einen uralten Text gefunden, in dem ein Baum umarmt wird. Falls du magst, poste ihn.
Besten Gruß von
Xóchil
Von Wirkungen und Ursachen
Xóchil A. Schütz (2000)
Samstag:
19 Uhr. Ich fahre zu Tara nach Friedrichshain. Mit Tara mach ich Luzifers Literaturkammer. Luzifers Literaturkammer ist eine offene Lesebühne. Während Taras zwei kleine Mädchen und ein Freund von denen friedlich im Kinderzimmer spielen, steigen Tara, ihr Kerl und ich auf das Dach von dem Altbau. Wir machen Fotos von uns und kiffen und trinken Campari-O. Später gehen wir wieder in die Wohnung und machen Fotos und kiffen und trinken Campari-O. Ich schau’ mir mit den Kindern „Didi und Stulle“ an. Ich finde es wichtig, Kinder mit guten Bilderbüchern auf gute Literatur vorzubereiten. Und sie finden „Didi und Stulle“ auch richtig interessant.
Sonntag:
Spätnachmittag. Gerade aufgestanden. Irgendwie „mal“ in der Birne. Nach dem Frühstück wasche ich das Geschirr ab. Beim Abtrocknen fällt mein Blick auf die Spülmaschine. Sehr witzig. Ich rufe Tara an und frag’ sie, ob sie auch noch so breit ist. Scheiße, sie ist härter. Sie ist schon wieder klar im Kopf. Ich hol’ mir meine Gitarre und singe ein paar Friedenslieder. Paul ruft an. Paul ist ein Freund von mir und Fotograf. Ich erzähle Paul bestimmt fünf Minuten lang eine Story aus meinem Leben. Dann fällt mir ein, dass ich sie ihm schon mal erzählt hab’. Peinlich. Warum sagt der auch nichts? Paul ist manchmal etwas schüchtern.
Ich gehe ins Badezimmer und lache mich im Spiegel an. Sowas macht immer Spaß. Und heute klappt das mit dem Lachen noch viel besser als sonst. Als mein Blick in mein Waschbecken fällt, weiß ich, dass das mit dem Abwasch vorhin nur der Anfang war. Ich putze meistens, nachdem ich Drogen konsumiert habe. Als ich gerade die Badewanne schrubbe und die farbenfrohe Schaumentwicklung beobachte, frage ich mich, ob ich nicht ein bisschen öfter zu Rauschmitteln greifen sollte. Aber ich hatte schon Probleme mit der Dosierung. Einmal hab’ ich danach meine gesamte Schmutzwäsche aus dem Wäschekorb geholt, akkurat zusammengefaltet und zurück in den Korb gelegt. Sowas ist ja eigentlich unnötig. Während ich den Schwamm ausspüle, bin ich mir plötzlich gar nicht mehr sicher, ob ich Paul die Story wirklich schon erzählt hatte.
Um 19 Uhr bin ich mit Simon verabredet. Simon ist der Personal Webpager von „Luzifer“. Wir treffen uns eigentlich jeden Sonntag. Am Anfang haben wir immer an der Seite gearbeitet. Mittlerweile gehen wir meistens Kaffee trinken. Heute haben wir uns für’s „Hallo Tschüss“ verabredet. Paul hat da gerade eine Ausstellung. Leider ist es plötzlich so spät, dass ich die U-Bahn um zwanzig vor nicht mehr kriegen werde. Irgendwie ist mein Zeitgefühl was verstellt. Na ja. Zehn vor reicht ja auch. Ich esse noch gemütlich einen großen Himbeer-Joghurt. Auf dem Weg zur U-Bahn merke ich dann, dass ich mein Bahn-Ticket vergessen habe. Ohne mein Bahn-Ticket krieg’ ich Paranoia. In renne zurück. Hoch in den fünften Stock. Ach, jetzt trink ich noch mal ein Glas Wasser. Ich hab so doll Durst, die ganze Zeit schon. Ich seh’ dann immerhin noch die Rücklichter der Bahn im Tunnel verschwinden. Weil ich am Rosenthaler Platz auch noch mal 10 Minuten auf die Tram warten kann, bin ich um kurz vor halb acht da. Keine Ahnung, ob Simon sauer ist, er lässt sich auf jeden Fall nichts anmerken.
Eine Stunde später laufen wir zusammen zu „Leiser Jemand“. „Leiser Jemand“ war das wichtige Autorenforum im Eschloraque am Hackeschen Markt. Am Sonntag hat es sich aber selbst aufgelöst. Als Veranstalterin von Luzifers Literaturkammer finde ich das sehr schade. Weil Konkurrenz ja die Literatur belebt.
Ich sitze also immer noch breit beim letzten Treffen von „Leiser Jemand“ im Eschloraque. Heute kommentiere ich alle Texte frei heraus. Und dann bekomme ich ein riesiges Kompliment. Und zwar von einem der ganz großen jungen Lyriker Berlins; Domian Fahl. Der hat mir irgendwann mal vorgeworfen, ich sei zu nett zu allen Menschen. Und heute Abend nach den Lesungen und Diskussionen ruft er mich mit dem Namen „Ätz-Tussi“. Wow. Noch ein Grund, öfter Drogen zu konsumieren. Ich kann mein Image aufbessern.
Als es im Eschloraque langweilig wird, laufe ich rüber zum Kurvenstar. Im Kurvenstar gibt’s jetzt nämlich jeden Sonntag die „Internationale Ecke“. Da lesen und singen ein paar der Kerle von „DSL – Drogen statt Liebe“. Wenn die sich besser anziehen würden, wärn die echt Bravo-kompatibel. Deshalb ziehen sie sich nicht besser an. Sie sind aber trotzdem süß. Ob sie auch gut riechen, hab’ ich noch nicht bei allen rausgefunden. Ovi moderiert den Abend und verspricht einen Sambuca für den besten Zwischenruf. Ich bin sehr schüchtern, weil hier nur Männer öffentlich reden. Deshalb unterhalte ich mich mit meinem Banknachbarn über Innere Stimmen. Er ist auch ein bisschen schüchtern. Und er findet das glaub’ ich gut, dass wir über sowas reden können. Statt Sambuca trinke ich Bier und später Cuba Libre, weil mir Rigips, einer von DSL, seine Getränkebons schenkt. Er hat irgendwas davon gemurmelt, dass er immer zu viel trinkt. Mir schmeckt`s lecker, und ich schalte mein Gehirn aus.
Montag:
18 Uhr. Gerade aufgestanden. Ich hab’ so Kopfweh. Lou Reed erzählt mir, dass wir vorhin zusammen im Zoo waren. Hm. Ja. Ich könnte einkaufen gehen und mir irgendwelchen Saft kaufen. Mit dem könnt’ ich dann heut’ Nacht versuchen, die Bierflaschen im Kühlschrank zu überlisten. Ich bin aber zu fertig. Das war nämlich tierisch anstrengend heute im Zoo. Bevor es dunkel wird gehe ich noch mal in den Humboldthain und laufe da rum. Die Pina, eine etwas esoterisch angehauchte Freundin von mir, hat mal gesagt, wie wichtig es ist, sich zu „erden“, wenn man nicht gut drauf ist. Ich bin nicht gut drauf. Dann soll man sich in Erde einwühlen oder wenigstens einen Baum umarmen. Ich laufe auf einen großen Ahornbaum zu. Ich lege meine Arme etwas schüchtern um seinen Stamm. Irgendwann hab’ ich den Baum so richtig umarmt. Hinter mir läuft ein hübscher Typ vorbei. Aber er guckt irgendwie komisch. Ach, ist mir doch egal. Der Stamm hier ist garantiert härter als seiner. Ich verbringe eine halbe Stunde damit, verschiedene Bäume anzufassen. Jeder ist ganz anders als alle anderen. Danach lauf’ ich noch auf den Spielplatz und schaukel’ rum. Zu Hause mach’ ich mir einen Kinderkaffee. Ich beschließe, mir morgen bunte Eimerchen und Schäufelchen zu kaufen, damit ich mal wieder richtig im Sand buddeln kann. Und Alkohol und Drogen sind doof. Und ich war gar nicht mit Lou Reed im Zoo. Dafür geh ich jetzt mit ihm ins Bett.
*******
Polly said,
17/12/2010 @ 06:33 ·
Es war ein kleines Mädchen
nicht immer stark genug
das Leben zu bestehen
da konnte einer sehen
wenn aufmerksam genug
das Mädchen regelmässig
zum einen Baume gehen
wo es ihn umarmte
sich zu ihm setzte
mit ihm sprach
beim Abschied nochmals umarmte
und gestärkt zurück
in ihren Alltag ging
Polly,
Administration & Finanzen
newTree
Bollwerk 35
3011 Bern
http://www.newTree.org
grossaffe said,
17/12/2010 @ 14:10
Bäume umarmen…
Es begann in meiner Kindheit. Ein Lebensabschnitt endete und ein neuer begann. Die Zeit der Grundschule war vorüber und nach den Ferien sollte ich in eine weiterführende Schule gehen.
In unserer Ortschaft war es so (ob es heute noch so ist, weiß ich nicht), dass die Abgänger der Grundschule von der Gemeinde einen Baum geschenkt bekommen.
Ich wollte unbedingt einen Apfelbaum. Wir hatten bereits mehrere Aprikosen-, einen Walnuss-, einen Ringlo- und zwei Pflaumenbäume. Ich wünschte mir diesen Baum so sehr… Und was taten meine Eltern? Sie setzten sich über meinen Wunsch hinweg und bestellten einen Kirschbaum. Ich esse keine Kirschen, nicht einmal Kirschmarmelade oder Kirschsaft… Tja, der arme Baum hatte schon verloren, bevor er überhaupt in unseren Garten gepflanzt wurde. Jeden Tag sah ich mir diesen Baum an und war mal wütend, mal traurig. Mittlerweile ist er seit 15 Jahren in unserem Garten und trägt sehr, sehr viele Kirschen. Un dich? Ich habe letztes Jahr meinen Frieden mit ihm geschlossen. In einer Vollmondnacht im August umarmte ich ihn…