Tree-hugging is good for the soul

There is something awe-inspiring about trees and forests. Something calming and eternal in their majesty as they reach out towards heaven. This isn’t so apparent when the trees are still young, but standing in front of a tree which is old or even ancient and yet is alive takes your breath away.

There is a well-known tree in the Knysna Forest, the King Edward VII tree, which is older than 650 years. To put that into perspective… the year is 1362…

In Europe it is the time of the High Middle Ages. In February of that year, King Magnus Eriksson’s son Haakon proclaims himself king of Sweden. On April 6 is the Battle of Brignais. Pope Urban V succeeds Pope Innocent VI as the 200th pope. Muhammed V, Sultan of Granada, returns to the throne after the murder of Muhammed VI. Under Edward III, English begins to replace French as England’s official language. The Ottomans capture Philippopolis and Adrianople from the Byzantine Empire, reducing it to the city of Constantinople. And in the Knysna Forest a seed of the Kalander tree starts growing.

It would be over a hundred years before Columbus would sail to America or the Cape of Storms – later to become the Cape of Good Hope – would be rounded by Portuguese sailors. It would be nearly three centuries before a halfway station would be started in the Cape of Good Hope, starting a settlement which would in a few more centuries become the Republic of South Africa.

It would be over six and a half centuries later when, armed with a digital camera; a tree-lover would visit it in the forest to first stand in awe… and then give it a hug. Well, do you blame me? I just couldn’t resist!