Advice ... from a TREE

Muir Woods National Monument

A few years ago, when on a two-week Californian vacation, we spent a few days in the Bay area of San Francisco. The city was scenically amazing: the Golden Gate Bridge (which is not a gold colour, disappointing me); the mighty Pacific Ocean; the islands within San Francisco Bay; the hills, the clanging trams, the sea lions clamouring tightly together on the sun-warmed rocks; Fisherman's Wharf, etc. North of the City is the quaint town of Sausolito bordering the Bay waters...gardened boulevards and immense hanging baskets of colourful flowers; boutique shops; restaurants of fine food and the quiet ambiance of scenic beauty surrounding us.

In a lush canyon, just 45 miles northwest of the Golden Gate Bridge dwells what John Muir called, “the best tree lovers' monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world.”

This is a forest of giant trees shrouded in coastal fogs and one of the few remaining stands of Redwoods in the San Francisco Bay area. Every year, large clumps of ladybugs, flying in from California's central Valley, can be seen on the plants there as they seek the cool refuge of the forest.

Dear Hamilton friends recently vacationed for three weeks touring this Golden State. When they visited Muir Woods, a sign at its entry bore this poem:

Advice...from a TREE

Stand tall and proud.
Sink your roots into the earth.
Be content with your natural beauty.
Go out on a limb.
Drink plenty of water
Remember your roots.
Enjoy the view!

Author – Ilan Shamir

One valuable lesson we learn from a tree is to have patience. We also learn that change can be beautiful. Each season brings its own beauty. Without change, we cannot grow! Roots must be nourished, tended and fed. Parenthood in all its forms, can only be achieved through love. We all need a healthy root system to sustain us. Life's lessons learned from a tree will last us forever!

History of Muir Woods: In 1905, US congressman William Kent and his wife Elizabeth purchased 611 acres of land with the goal of protecting the redwoods and the mountains above them from the logging industry. In 1907 when a water company planned to dam Redwood Creek which would flood the valley, Kent objected to the plan. The water company took Kent to court in an attempt to force the project to move ahead...so Kent donated 295 acres to the Federal Government, thus protecting the area. On January 9, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared the land a “National Monument”, the first to be created from land donated by a private individual. Kent insisted the monument be named after naturalist John Muir, because Muir's environmental campaigns helped to establish the National Park system .

Merle Baird-Kerr
May 10, 2011