A few months ago, I was in Yosemite Valle, California, USA . This is a huge forest with 800 miles in hiking trails. The Sequoia family of trees with their huge trunks draw special attention of the visitors. The tallest tree is 285 feet in height.
As I looked around I felt, each of these trees have meaningful lessons to teach.
Wawona Giant Sequoia
One of the trees, Wawona giant sequoia is 210 feet tall, 92 feet in circumference with a diameter of 30 feet. As you can see in the image, the tree fell down from its roots. This happened in 1969 and it is still lying there as the wood is resistant to decay. It is as good as dead, but so what? While living, it succeeded in maintaining its world record. Therefore even after death, it is a darling of everyone who passes it by. In fact, the authorities allow visitors to play around and hug this eternally sleeping tree.
These giant sequoia trees understand that to survive, it is very important to share and live together as a society. They are aware that for survival, every tree needs water and nutrients which is why they grow very close to one another. They permit the roots of one giant sequoia to fuse with the roots of another. This underground activity enables the giant trees not only to survive in close proximity to each other but live together with equal rights.
In fact there is a set of two trees called “Faithful Couple” who believe to share every thing
Faithful Couple
with the partner. They are so close to each other that one side of their trunks is almost like a common wall of the two trunks. They respect the presence of the neighbour. They demonstrate their ability to share the components for survival such as water, sunlight and nutrients like a true couple. They believe in togetherness in pleasure and sorrow, “sukh-dukh mein saath saath”
California Tunnel
There is a tree called California Tunnel, one of the two living trees in the area. The tree in the dense jungle does not hesitate to permit the people to pass through its tummy. A large cavity in the huge trunk is wide enough to let a SUV pass through it. Convenience to others is more important to the tree than its own inconvenience. Similarly there is a tree called Clothspin which has a tunnel in its body as big as 40ft in height.
At one site, there are 3 sequoia trees together named 3 Graces. Their roots are inter-mingled. Research confirms that they survive together and if they were to fall, they would fall together. Together they live and together they would die. “jiyenge saath saath, marenge saath saath”
Glad to see this notes and key learning from them – Reminded my trails through them 15 years back