Photo by Nancy Morgan

Nine people attended the August 4 workshop on a hot summer day.  We began with the song “I Talk to the Trees,” sung by Clint Eastwood in the movie Paint Your Wagon. Clint laments in the song that the trees won’t listen to him.  Each of us then related one connection to a tree in our lives.  We read evidence from poets Wendell Berry, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Lakota Elder Dan and Mary Oliver that suggests a relationship with trees might be more about listening than talking.  Participants were invited to spread out over the Morven Park landscape, find a tree they are attracted to, then create a relationship and take notes, sketches, photos, etc. Later they returned to the picnic tables to share what each discovered. As always, a lively conversation followed our assignment. One participant remained in writing mode the entire time, relaxing in the shade of the tree of her choice. In this workshop, that’s as good as it gets.  The next Writing in Nature workshop is scheduled for  September 1.