text: There is a tall oak tree in our local park which is situated near the area where for at least a 100 years the local county cricket team has played. The oak is at least 125 years old. I have seen photos of the area with the tree still standing where there was no car park nearby or dentist surgery. Generations of families have taken picnics near this tree. Dogs have used it as a urinal. This park is host to the local town fete once a year. There is a fun fair with familiar rides such as helter skelter and waltzers. People have stalls too selling locally made products. I always like this aspect of local community as it seems less manufactured and real as in the way buying from amazon does not. The tree has colourful bunting put on its branches during the fete. All of these traditions and kids growing to adults who bring their own children to the park and also sit under the sturdy oak for shelter from the rain or sun. Trees are than mere objects or things to be cut down. Trees are there through our lives. One of the most moving stories i have heard is of two kids who carved their names into a tree near their homes in pre-war 2,poland. One boy who was Jewish was taken to a concentration camp with his family and didnt come back all were gassed to death in Nazi occupied poland. I still even as an adult cannot comprehend the degenerate evil of the holocaust. Its not something can be defined even over countless books written on the subject. The other boy emigrated to the United States. Fifty years later he went back to Poland and found this tree still there with the crude carved initials still in the trunk. Trees tell a story of lives and deserve our respect. I know nature the wilderness will outlive us and maybe thats a good thing. Its been a long time since I lived in my home city. I remember the trees in our garden. We were lucky to have bought a house where the previous owner had planted a wonderful variety of Fruit trees. I recall a pear tree and a plum tree which gave delicious Victoria plums in summer. I used to climb this tree as a boy, grabbing the ripe plums and washing them. My mum made a mean plum jam from them. I miss that garden now as an adult. The area now is priced too high for most people. I moved to another country on the edges of Europe. I managed to buy a house with a garden for a fraction of the cost in England. I know im lucky to have my own trees and plants growing in the garden now. How many people live in cramped apartments for frankly daft rental prices. Now i have children of my own. They play in the garden where we have several trees. Trees are to me an anchor in an unsettled turbulent world. They go through the cylcle of seasons. Some end up being felled by man or disease. However on the scale of things, trees are doing a good job holding up in spite of what we as humans are doing to destroy their and our own habitats. I know people link their own lives to plants and animals. It in some ways goes deeper in our psyche than what school or job you hold or held. In a world that is driven by greed and status, the act of breathing in deeply and enjoying the natural world is something that we as a civilisation should not lose. Now in the current world of pandemia and cultural and economic mega hardships people try to make sense of themselves and the increasingly fragmented world around us. Trees and the natural world once again offer us a safe haven from confusion and help us to heal our tired minds. Its no coincidence of mental health problems have skyrocked in numbers as people stay in sometimes cramped living spaced. I feel for kids the most as being able to play outside was an important part of my childhood. I used to have a bike which i cycled everywhere with. I still remember the pain and sadness 35 years later after it was stolen outside a local shop where i had gone to buy something. Looking back i think the area where i lived actually had pockets of social decay and poverty which as a child you dont take in or understand. I really think the growth of urban sprawl and the disconnect from the natural world has made people more anti social and selfish. I am guilty of using my phone or laptop too much. I try and make time for my kids 2 girls who i know are growing in a world of sexism and racial bias. I do my best and dont expect the world to change but i do my best anyhow. I would happily live off grid and try to be self sufficient in food growing. I grow some vegetables already and herbs. Its not much but its rewarding to have them on the dinner plate. I have met and spoken to people who take enormous pride in their gardens and some even do garden designing as a career. Amazingly technology can help us in this respect as we can design garden spaces on digital apps. Tree houses for the wealthy can be made now but come with a distinctly ridiculous price tag. One of the things i liked about living in England was the local parks that offer a space for people to use and give a source of nature. I really hope governments in their short sightedness do not cut funding for these places as this can only negatively impact the poorest people in society. Nature should be equal to all of us regardless of our social or financial status. Ive seen kids from different social backgrounds play together in local parks and sports. This is what makes us all more equal and less isloated from each other. Now lets put that bloody phone away and climb some trees!