Page 60 - To know things we have to have the world inside us

“To begin with, I was drawn to the
lichen and the bark.

Then I started seeing the tree
through order and disorder and
then through seeds and
movement, light and shadow. “

“I naturally went to it….”

“I thought I knew it…”

“I wanted for the tree to choose me. It is just a tree. A skinny
tree. I thought it was fragile, sad looking. I found a little knot,
heart shaped. It surprised me...it was actually strong and robust.”

“I struggled to make a connection so I wondered how I had connected to

trees in the past….they are places of buried pets; memories of my Dad
(died) sitting under the tree; happy memories of an angled branch with a
scoop - my secret place; Tarzan swing on a tree; elephant walnuts. I found
connections within myself; warmth and emotions.”

“I broke my way through largely untouched bush leading to the tree. I felt
slightly concerned as I stumbled and fell several times, tangling myself in the
undergrowth of small shrubs and grasses. When I reached the expanse of
trunk and looked up I felt as I did when I first met Tane Mahuta, the 2000
year old kauri in the Waipoua State Forest: full of awe, respect, excitement.”

Sometimes the chosen tree was a stranger, other times a tree was ‘known’ - or was it? The depth and power of the
emotional connections and memories was stunning. Despite in some cases, sad memories, perseverance created
connections...a powerful demonstration of the interconnectedness of ‘ways of knowing’. The realisation that
‘noticing’, paying attention, in this way is a choice, has been a powerful experience. Having experienced this
possibility with the found things~objects~materials, teachers were able to ‘notice’ a tree in a new way.

60