Cedar Tree Recording

Using a device called Plants Play I have been recording old growth trees throughout the Pacific Northwest for years. This recording is from a majestic 1500 year old 'mother' cedar tree in an undisturbed forest in BC, Canada. I continue to be amazed at how harmoniously some trees sing when they are part of a forest. We can listen to our electrical heartbeats using an EKG, just like we can hear trees singing when they are healthy and resilient. 

Eco Dance # 4

Excerpt from indoor performance of a longer dance by Alice Grendon

1st Dance to the Music of the Trees in Squaxin Park in 2024 was a huge success. Join us for the 2nd annual Saturday April 12th 10 am - 11:30 located by Squaxin shelter #4.

Eco Dance # 3

Olympia's own dancer, Alice Grendon, solos with a magical singing 'nurse stump' in Squaxin Park in 2023. This dance is a celebration of the trees in the forest and the nutrient rich soil on the forest floor. I'm amazed by nature's resilience and how the long tree roots are nurtured by the into rich soil from the decomposing stump. 

This duet between Alice and the nurse stump nurturing 2 young trees was very moving to me during COVID. To be outside listening to the tree sing while watching Alice move with and around the stump, I noticed that I slowed down and embodied what I call, 'tree time'. I shifted into a deep connection to the planet, in sync with seconds, not minutes to feel a strong connection with my ancestors and sacred tree elders - almost an 'Alice in Wonderland' moment -  with a glimpse into a different realm with a generational patience.

Eco Dance # 2

Footage from video of Capitol Forest group improv dance was created for a visual backdrop for an indoor performance. The dancers moved in both clearcut and, as you can tell in this clip, in structurally complex forest. The film was the backdrop for the audience depicting the distinct difference between the shrieking tree stump song versus the harmonious legacy trees singing to while Department of Natural Resources testimonies played.

Eco-Dance # 1

Alice Grendon dances surrounded by Cedar Trees in 2022.

Alice wrote, "In early September I got the opportunity to do a duet with cedar tree in Squaxin Park, Olympia as part of a longer event called "For the Love of Trees" put on by a local non-profit Restoring Earth Connection. This duet was made possible by a fellow local artist Julie Ratner who uses a device that translates the electromagnetic frequency from plants into musical notes. The sensors, similar to those used for an EKG, are hooked up to the cedar tree to the right in the video and the tree is "singing" for us live as I am dancing to her song."

Finding Faces in Trees

Just like human skin scars and wrinkles over time tree bark does too. As animals, insects and humans share the forest there are many visual clues about the life of each tree. Branches break from lightening or wind and scars cover the wounds. Sometimes faces emerge! Please join other people around the globe who send me tree face photos for my archive at julie@walkaboutwithjulie.com! Many more images on my YouTube channel.

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