Beyond familiar

I’ve been taking pictures of trees for quite some time, although my interest for the past year has been looking closer: at details of tree bark, in particular. Years ago, I spent some time in the second growth woodland of New Hampshire and I knew a lot about maples and oaks and other hardwoods, mostly as tops left by loggers that I used for firewood.

Living a 10-minute walk from the Arb has changed and broadened that connection. Sure, there’s lots of oaks and maples and other trees common throughout New England. But that’s really just a small part of it. There are trees and shrubs here from all over the world. Now I’m no expert, far from it: all I know about these trees is what’s on the cataloging tags each tree has. This image is a close-up of the bark of a Sawleaf Zelkova, native to Japan and Asia. It came from Rhode Island and dates from 1925. Not exotic if you’re a landscaper, but new to this Brooklyn boy!

What a comfort to walk in a place where the lives and ways of trees are the priority. We are blessed to share this space with such a range of amazing entities.