The Lorax is out of a job.
At least on Bainbridge Island.
The beloved orange activist better be polishing up his résumé and breaking out his pint-sized job interview outfit, because this month the trees are speaking for themselves.
Bainbridge Islanders will get the chance to hear exactly what their favorite flora have to say, and the chance to share how much they appreciate and enjoy some of the most historic hardwoods here, via a new interactive outreach program from Earth Art Bainbridge. The month-long arts festival is raising awareness about climate change through various creative endeavors, including the Email-A-Tree program, which lets island nature lovers seek out — and then reach out to — more than 25 different trees around Bainbridge, each having been assigned their own email address for fan mail.
Turns out, the trees around here are pretty chatty.
Some of the talkative trees on the list include the American Elm, Sycamore and Red Oak planted by Robert Cave in 1903; the Oshio Beni Japanese Maple overlooking Bainbridge Performing Arts; Shubert, the Choke Cherry tree next to Emmy’s Vege House; the Weeping Crabapple watching over Stephen’s House and many more.
“I’m 64 feet tall,” reads the American Elm’s online biography. “I have seen my area become a parking lot for a pet store and finally saved by the city that help to pay for the removal of the pavement around my roots. I am now a proud sentinel for the historical museum. I’ve continued to thrive and nowadays watch pedestrians as they walk down Ericksen Avenue on their way to downtown.
“Do they know I enjoy watching them every single day and often wish they would stop to say ‘hello’ and e-mail me to say you love me?”
Brief bios of all the project’s featured trees can be found at www.earthartbainbridge.org/email-a-tree, along with a map of where to find the topiary personalities.
“I was saved from development at the corner of Ericksen and Winslow Way and moved to my present home on August 12, 2002 using a special air spade to prevent damage to my roots,” explained OB, the Oshio Beni Japanese Maple. “I am unique in having dramatic foliage color. In spring, my foliage is orange to purple-red. In summer, my foliage develops a green cast changing to reddish-purple. In the fall, my color is bright orange-red. How may of you have noticed my beautiful colors? The next time you visit the theater or the farmers market, please e-mail me to say that my efforts to awe you are not all in vain and I will continue to do my best to dazzle you.”
Many of the other leafy luminaries express similar stories of survival in their first-person introductions as well.
“I have been standing here for over 100 years,” boasts the downtown Winslow Silver Maple. “I feel very special since I am the only one of my species in the downtown area. So many people pass by me on the way to the theater or to the farmers market, but few — if any — stop to say ‘hi.’ Please take a moment to look at my splendid canopy that provides shelter from the sun and the rain. Hug me and I will tell you stories of things I have seen and heard!”
To get the specific email address of any one tree, you must visit the tree in person.
Emails sent to the trees will be collected and featured on the website throughout the project, which runs through the end of the month.
Visit www.earthartbainbridge.org to learn more about this and other programs and events from Earth Art Bainbridge.
