Excellent idea!
Occassionaly there's a story on the news about the fight between logging companies and environmentalists over old growth stands of trees. Most of us city dwellers have no idea what all the fuss is about - they're just trees right? Just grow some new ones and get on with it.
But if you've ever stood in even a small grove of old growth giant sequoia, or walked around under a two or three hundred year old oak or sycamore, or stood and looked at an old gnarled and stunted cypress or maybe a huge buttress rooted old growth mahogany tree you begin to understand that not all trees are "just trees".
Many make a point of visiting historical sites or museums when we travel. We'll check out magnificent old buildings, statues of some long forgotten hero of some long ago war, perhaps make a point of going to Arlington National Cemetery and walk among the rows of white crosses and markers, wondering about all those lives cut short so young. These places make us stop and reflect - to appreciate what was before.
But trees?
Stand at the base of an old tree and realize what has gone on around them over all the years they've stood there. Some times just having them as reminders is enough to want to keep them standing, or in some cases, leaning. The fact that they're also interesting as hell to look at, both from afar and close up also makes them far more valuable than their wood content.
Maybe taking in an old tree or a grove of old growth is something to look into when we travel. There are some magnificent trees all over this country. You might want to see a few - before they're gone - forever.
charlie b