I grew up seeing banyan trees worshipped, only later in life I realised how amazing they are. And have seen many old banyan trees, the energy they have feels very ancient. I am lucky to live in a place where there are numerous variety of figs. In fruiting season the land beneath is smudged with its peculiar seed dense fruit, you can’t miss it. Did not know how amazing they are for our ecosystem. Thank you for this essay dedicated to these magnificent trees, Jason.
While reading the essay I could not help but think about Elif Shafak’s ‘The island of missing trees’. A story of a Cypriot family who carries a fig tree with them when they move to UK. What’s poetically beautiful is that it’s the fig tree that narrates the story (recommend this book, if you haven’t read it). Many Turkish and Cypriots have been known to carry the fig tree with them when they emigrate to colder countries, how they do it is fascinating.
This is all really interesting, Ankita. I'll put Shafak's book on my (too long) list. Now you have me wondering about the process of bringing and nurturing fig trees in cold climates.
I feel now, after writing this essay, that I would love to spend some time with banyans and other fig trees someday.
And your essay makes me want to paint fig trees in my art series.
I read Italians too have carried figs with them. It is fascinating how humans want to be reminded of their home land with its trees & fruits. Trees are a big part of our cultural memory.
Thank you for another rich and inspiring post, Jason. I learnt a great deal from reading this, and your final reflection will keep me company for some time. I love the shift from conceptualising bridges as a means to an end to thinking of them as (also) living beings in their own right. Thanks, too, for your recommendations. Maria Popova’s essay/review is wonderful, and I’ll be drawing on it in my own work.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful response to my book, Jason. I'm thrilled to know that you have read and enjoyed it. Thanks for spreading the word!
It's a great book and I had a good time putting this piece together, Mike. Thanks for being the guy who educated us on the topic. Hopefully I've spread the word a bit here.
I had no idea that the fig tree was so important to life on our planet. Just fascinating. Wish I could do more to support efforts to replant them. A beautifully written, fascinating piece, thank you. 💚
Thank you, Grace. Maybe Mike (see above) would have some ideas about how to support those efforts. And now that you say it, I should have included it in my writing.
Marvelous, thank you! As I read your notes on the book, I thought of that NPR photo essay, so I’m glad you linked to it. The world is indeed full of wonders. I love those bridges as an example of a beneficial relationship between people and trees. One of countless others if we only notice.
Such a pleasure to learn something new (to me, a pioneer of windpower in the US and Europe), which actually is so very important. Kudos and thanks to you Jason, to the book's author, to the Forest restoration research Unit in Thailand... for writing and doing what brings hope alive.
Thank you, Randy, for the kind words and the good work you're doing with wind power. This was a fun piece to write because of the mix of wonder and optimism. It's not always that way...
My daughter is now 30. She moved to the Yukon to get close to it all. I'm writing a book with a working title "Humans are Stupid". It will probably end up something closer to: "How To Fix Everything". She and I were discussing some of the content. She offered: "The Anthropocene was a great party, but everyone just wants to go home now."
I thought you might, hence why I added it. She's quite amazing. Just got her Masters degree in Restoration Ecology. "A growth industry". I think it would be cool to use the phrase with attribution. I got the placement of the word now wrong. Home is better here: << "The Anthropocene was a great party, but now everyone just wants to go home." Reanna Moore. >> cheers.
Thanks! One day you will. I'm half way through a book on how we can grow our Old Growth Forests back, which is effectively a chapter. Thanks for the thought!
I grew up seeing banyan trees worshipped, only later in life I realised how amazing they are. And have seen many old banyan trees, the energy they have feels very ancient. I am lucky to live in a place where there are numerous variety of figs. In fruiting season the land beneath is smudged with its peculiar seed dense fruit, you can’t miss it. Did not know how amazing they are for our ecosystem. Thank you for this essay dedicated to these magnificent trees, Jason.
While reading the essay I could not help but think about Elif Shafak’s ‘The island of missing trees’. A story of a Cypriot family who carries a fig tree with them when they move to UK. What’s poetically beautiful is that it’s the fig tree that narrates the story (recommend this book, if you haven’t read it). Many Turkish and Cypriots have been known to carry the fig tree with them when they emigrate to colder countries, how they do it is fascinating.
This is all really interesting, Ankita. I'll put Shafak's book on my (too long) list. Now you have me wondering about the process of bringing and nurturing fig trees in cold climates.
I feel now, after writing this essay, that I would love to spend some time with banyans and other fig trees someday.
And your essay makes me want to paint fig trees in my art series.
I read Italians too have carried figs with them. It is fascinating how humans want to be reminded of their home land with its trees & fruits. Trees are a big part of our cultural memory.
Thank you for another rich and inspiring post, Jason. I learnt a great deal from reading this, and your final reflection will keep me company for some time. I love the shift from conceptualising bridges as a means to an end to thinking of them as (also) living beings in their own right. Thanks, too, for your recommendations. Maria Popova’s essay/review is wonderful, and I’ll be drawing on it in my own work.
Yes to living bridges! A collaborative endeavour for that post-Anthropocene homecoming.
Glad the piece spoke to you, Suzanne. We all need more living bridges, right? As for Maria Popova, her work is always rich and intriguing.
Thank you for this opening to wonder! I am so grateful for your work.
Thank you, Leah. It was a fun one to write. I'm grateful for Mike's book.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful response to my book, Jason. I'm thrilled to know that you have read and enjoyed it. Thanks for spreading the word!
It's a great book and I had a good time putting this piece together, Mike. Thanks for being the guy who educated us on the topic. Hopefully I've spread the word a bit here.
I had no idea that the fig tree was so important to life on our planet. Just fascinating. Wish I could do more to support efforts to replant them. A beautifully written, fascinating piece, thank you. 💚
Thank you, Grace. Maybe Mike (see above) would have some ideas about how to support those efforts. And now that you say it, I should have included it in my writing.
Marvelous, thank you! As I read your notes on the book, I thought of that NPR photo essay, so I’m glad you linked to it. The world is indeed full of wonders. I love those bridges as an example of a beneficial relationship between people and trees. One of countless others if we only notice.
Full of wonders, indeed. That photo essay is extraordinary, and the bridges feel like signs of a better world.
Such a pleasure to learn something new (to me, a pioneer of windpower in the US and Europe), which actually is so very important. Kudos and thanks to you Jason, to the book's author, to the Forest restoration research Unit in Thailand... for writing and doing what brings hope alive.
Thank you, Randy, for the kind words and the good work you're doing with wind power. This was a fun piece to write because of the mix of wonder and optimism. It's not always that way...
I have read Mike Shanahan’s wonderful book - it’s everything you say. Highly recommend it.
Glad to hear from another fan of the book, Margaret. Mike does a great job with a very large topic.
He sure does Jason.
I read. I sense. I learn. I am filled with wonder. And gratitude 🙏🏼
Thank you, Lynne.
I learnt so much listening to this. Thank you for this article. We humans need to understand that the solution is in the details.
I learned a lot as well, Tom. It's good to be able to really enjoy a book and then pass on its wonders to others.
My daughter is now 30. She moved to the Yukon to get close to it all. I'm writing a book with a working title "Humans are Stupid". It will probably end up something closer to: "How To Fix Everything". She and I were discussing some of the content. She offered: "The Anthropocene was a great party, but everyone just wants to go home now."
Thanks, Ben. I really want to borrow your daughter's line; it's brilliant.
I thought you might, hence why I added it. She's quite amazing. Just got her Masters degree in Restoration Ecology. "A growth industry". I think it would be cool to use the phrase with attribution. I got the placement of the word now wrong. Home is better here: << "The Anthropocene was a great party, but now everyone just wants to go home." Reanna Moore. >> cheers.
That's great, Ben. If I use it, I'll certainly credit Reanna. Really glad she's out there studying and doing the good work.
I would read this!
Thanks! One day you will. I'm half way through a book on how we can grow our Old Growth Forests back, which is effectively a chapter. Thanks for the thought!