A world without trees means a world without these 10 tree memories. At tentree we want to keep these memories alive.
1) Jumping in leaves
When the sweet smell of fall hits the air, dad calls and we’d dash out the back door so fast we leave streaks of colour behind us like The Flash. Our shoes leave gaping prints in the lawn as we pick up speed and then jump, like a basketball star making a slam-dunk, air born wearing a goofy smile on our faces. We crash into the pile, crackling beneath us, rolling around so the leaves cover us before bursting out again.
2) Climbing trees
No matter our age, it’s hard to resist the challenge of an old intricate tree. We grab hold of that first branch and pull ourselves up, finding birds’ nests, woodpecker holes and millipedes along the way. But when we look down and see the ground through the branches and suddenly feel cold and sweaty. A flicker of doubt crosses our mind but it’s too late to turn back. We’ve got to reach the top and poke our head out through the leaves to see the forest from a bird’s perspective. Check out why you should still be climbing trees here.
3) Picking fruit
Who loves family outings more than mom? She packed sunscreen, sandwiches and made sure everyone had pants on. After checking all the seat belts, we finally leave for the orchard where she spends all day telling us to stop dropping apples on each others heads. Remember crunching into that crisp delicious Macintosh for the first time?
4) Hiking through the trees
We’ve been staring at our feet trying not to trip over tree roots, walking up and up and up. Our back is sweaty from the heavy pack, our breathing is laboured and our legs burn. Finally we come out onto the hills ledge. Our eyes adjust to the sun and we see the beautiful landscape: birds flying above and water rushing below. We take a deep breath and absorb the beauty before sitting down to our Bits and Bites.
5) Zip-Lining through the trees
Mom said we’d wind up killing ourselves. She urged us to wear our helmets before we got out of the car. You told her you’d be fine without knowing how scared you’d really be; I practically had to push you off the platform. You’d beg me to stop calling you Tree Hugger for years to come.
6) Using trees as cover
The dorm got too loud and you’re sick of being offered beer bongs … what are you becoming? We were looking for a place to study for our finales when we found it. Tall and sturdy, casting enough shade to stay cool, and secluded enough to avoid being hit by Frisbees. Psych 101 won’t know what hit it.
7) Fetch with a branch
It’s been one heck of a winter and the snow is finally gone. No one is happier than our best friend who finally gets to graze, run and, best of all, fetch! If only he’d learn to bring the stick back.
8) Build a treehouse
Being that cool kid on the block who has a tree house is exactly what we want our kids to be. So call our most carpentry-savvy friends and nail some things together like men! Have some beers with the pals and discuss our feelings behind a veil of plywood and 2” by 4”s. If we can manage a stable platform and a ladder we’ll be set. Walls are for spoiled kids anyway.
9) Spin on the new tree swing
Sally put up a sign that says “No Boys Aloud” in the tree house and Jake is in tears. The only way to reconcile this is to build him a swing, because it’s the weekend and we’re not building another platform. A quiet house; just another way that trees can transform our lives.
10) Enjoy the wildlife
After retirement it felt only natural to return to the forest where we grew up. What a peaceful way to spend our mornings, watching beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. And who knows, maybe our grandsons will enjoy making some tree memories with us.
With over 4,918,900 trees planted, tentree wants your kids to live the same happy memories we did. Shop tentree here and plant your own ten trees.
