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Sarah Elizabeth Jones's avatar

Another beautiful post Sam, I love your writing so much. And I also love trees and am now mentally compiling my 47! I still squeal with child-like delight at 'square trees' where branches grow at right angles to accommodate busses and lorries.

I'm lucky to live opposite a Victorian park with many wonderful trees - although my local council has quite an aggressive (in my opinion), tree management policy which has involved us losing some of my favourites. I purposefully went and spent a few minutes with each tree that had a notice on it, to say thank you (and sorry) and I didn't feel in the slightest bit silly. It just seemed the right thing to do.

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Sam Pyrah's avatar

I'm so glad you went to pay your respects to the doomed trees, that's wonderful. Thanks for your lovely comment and keep compiling that list!

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Jimmy Measures's avatar

This welled me up, Sam. So beautiful. Thank you 🥹

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Sam Pyrah's avatar

Thank you Jimmy. There must be some incredible yews among your favourite 47!

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Anne's avatar

Sam, what a wonderful thought! I love the idea of having 47 trees. Thank you for introducing me to some of yours. I am busy now assembling mine! Beautiful writing, as always xxx

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Sam Pyrah's avatar

Thank you so much Anne. You have those beautiful Elms in Brighton as a starting point!

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Jane McCabe's avatar

Beautiful 🌳. Thanks Sam. My son and I emailed a tree in Melbourne through the Urban Forest Project a few months ago, and we were delighted to receive a reply 😀. X

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Sam Pyrah's avatar

Oh amazing! What did it say?

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Liz's avatar

Your writing has warmed my heart for the week ahead.

I try not to be prejudice with my tree preferences (it’s difficult) as I know all trees are welcome in nature but you surely have picked some beauties here with words and stories matching their reach like arms giving us a hug.

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Sam Pyrah's avatar

Thanks so much Liz. I admire your resistance to favouritism! I've got a lovely image in my head now of a tree's branching wrapping round you like arms in a hug.

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Jane McCabe's avatar

Here is the email and the tree's reply 😀. The original words are my son's. He was thrilled to receive a response! X

'Hi Friend,

Thanks for emailing me all the way from England. Perhaps one day you can visit me here in Melbourne and I will be sure to wave my branches at you.

Have a ‘treemendous’ day.

Your friend English Elm'

From: Jane McCabe

Sent: Thursday, 20 February 2025 4:19 AM

To: Melbourne Urban Forest <melbourneurbanforest@melbourne.vic.gov.au>

Subject: Information about a English Elm, Tree ID 1039971

'Hello, I've never ever seen you. Do I care? No. I still want to say hi, I'm from England. Have a nice day and live for another 100,000 years. Goodbye 👋 🫂 👋 🫂 👋 🫂 👋 🫂 👋 🫂 👋 🫂 👋 '

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Sam Pyrah's avatar

Ahh, brilliant! I might write to one of them myself now. Maybe I'll send them a link to my post! Now then, which of the 70,000 shall I choose?

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Jane McCabe's avatar

You definitely should 🌳!

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