01/10/2023
What a wonderful example of how curiosity and respect can transform how we see the world, and our place in it!
A teacher shared a compilation of thoughts her 7th grade students had when reflecting on the view of other living beings as family and trees being known as the "standing ones."
Viewing Other Living Things as People: Student Responses
Part One: What would change if people related to trees as people?
1. If humans related to trees as people, we would take care of them and value them more. This is because we would view them as equals, instead of below us.
2. It would inspire us to learn more about trees. I would also feel closer and more connected to nature and life because talking to it like it’s my friend or equal would make me feel relaxed and close to the tree.
3. We could learn great wisdom from the trees because they have longer life spans than humans and many other living things.
4. We would respect them more…Our society would also change because if we would protect the trees our roads may be different and there may be less big cities.
5. I think this viewpoint would make our society less focused on consumption of things and more on protecting our environment and the wildlife in it. I would be more aware of the things I use and waste, and I would try to reuse things more.
6. Overall, the outcome would make the world a healthier place…It would give more responsibility to everybody.
7. If we see them as equals, “I believe that we would value the interactions with them more and take more time to understand them.”
8. We would care more for the well-being and prosperity of trees. We would think twice before cutting down a tree for our own selfish purposes….Instead of brushing past them without even caring to glance at them, I would notice the individuality and how special each tree can be.
9. Now I am more curious about the answers to my questions and wonder what questions I could ask other objects that surround the spaces I know.
10. I feel like when I asked the trees a question, I gave it a life even though it didn’t answer the questions.
11. I now feel like the tree I “interviewed” has an unknown story that I am now itching to learn about.
12. The more I think of this, the more the tree seems alive.
13. I would give thanks for holding my beloved swing, that sustained my happiness while growing up.
Part Two: Questions you would like to ask your tree:
1. What animals visit you? Do you ever see uncommon animals around here?
2. What weather do you prefer? What season do you feel the best in?
3. How does it feel to be stuck in one place? Do you wish you could walk?
4. Are you related to any other trees in the forest?
5. If you could move, what would you do? (where would you go?)
6. What is the coolest thing you have seen in your lifetime?
7. Are you healthy? Do you have an issue or disease?
8. How do you create seeds?
9. What is your name? What would you like to be called?
10. What resources that you need do you have or are you lacking?
11. What is your life story? What are the key events that you have witnessed in your lifetime? What do you think is the best achievement of your life?
12. What is the scariest moment in your life?
13. Does the movement of your leaves on a windy day tickle?
14. What effect have I had on you?
15. Who/what inhabited this land when you were growing up? What have you seen in terms of change?
16. How do you feel about being used for paper?
17. What is it like seeing other plants being cut down or ripped out of the ground to be used in vases [or paper or furniture[?
18. How does it feel to only be able to observe, but never react?
19. What is it like to wonder if you are next to be cut down or to be used for something that humans need?
20. What are some of the most severe storms you went through?
21. Do you like being climbed?
22. How many organisms do you think depend on you? How many animals have you housed?
23. Are you comfortable in your current environment?
24. How do you communicate with other beings? Or, is it lonely being a tree?
25. Do you talk to other species of trees and animals, and if so, what do you say?
26. When did the connection between humans and trees start to disappear? Do you know why? Do you think we’ll ever regain that connection?
27. Do you love us?
Part 3: Does this new perspective deepen your curiosity and the quality of your questions? (and other insightful ideas)
1. It definitely deepened my curiosity and the quality of my questions. I felt like I asked questions with real meaning because I wanted to; I had a passion and a real desire to actually hear what this tree would say back to me…I used to see this tree everytime I looked out the window or left my house. Now, I feel like this tree is a friend that has always been there for me, even when I didn’t notice.
2. While as far as we can tell trees feel no pain and aren’t sentient, it isn’t certain. A similar belief stemming from east Asia is that objects have souls and will “react” based on how you treat them. People pretty much everywhere don’t care as much for objects and plants because the world has “sped up.” It takes too much time to appreciate the slower moving things. People might slow down and spend less time on screens to take care of their plants, like caring for the elderly…People also have a fairly large lack of respect for plants as a whole. You see younger kids ripping off decently large portions of trees. If people saw trees as sentient, they would be far more hesitant to end a life…
3. My first thought on trees is how many there are and how much variety they have. If all humans started viewing trees as people, I think that everyone would start realizing that no matter the color, variant, or size each person or “tree” is, at the end of the day, we are all part of the same species. In simple form, a lot of racism and body hate would stop.
4. If humans related to trees as people, I think we’d be more self-aware as a society. People have a tendency to be reckless with the natural world–it’s viewed as a resource; a way to make different products, like paper. That’s how we’ve gotten into this whole climate mess in the first place. But if we walked outside with a deeper care for where we stepped, we would always have something to look out for, and something that we felt was looking out for us. I think that would be comforting, and strengthen our connections with each other, too. We would have a common bond: everything and everyone would feel like they have a connection to a sort of global community. Society and the world would be healthier, because it would be greener, and people would be forced to be more aware. My life would change and feel different in all the ways described above. I’d walk outside knowing I’m a part of something bigger, and that I have a responsibility to the people and world around me.
5. I feel more of an urge to look out for my tree, and it feels familiar. Like I’ve known the tree for much longer than I actually have. I feel a connection through the tree to all of the trees that led up to the birth of this one. It’s really interesting how far back that feels.
photo in Redwood National Park
