“Trees are sanctuaries,” wrote the German poet and philosopher Herman Hesse. “When we have learned to listen to trees… that is home. That is happiness.” In his book Trees: Reflections and Poems, Hesse makes the philosophical case for trees, and how they are the key to essential notions of truth, beauty, home, belonging and happiness.
Trees seem to create a different world within themselves, not just in terms of the wildlife but as imaginative spheres where things seem possible that might not be in the everyday working world.” Tress are something “very soothing”, “a huge familiar object that is so full of life and just quietly nurtures all the things that live within its canopy.
Trees emerge as a force for good . Do you think trees can make us happier? “Trees appeal to all the senses, “Fresh smells, the sound of moving leaves and birdsong, the texture of the bark – all of these are appealing, especially in modern cities... They connect us to others, whether contemporaries or those in the past or future. If you plant a sapling that may take 200 years to reach its full stature, you are pledging faith in the future and offering a gift to the generations yet to be born. That’s a pretty good feeling.”
