TREES, TREES, TREES for Progress and Peace

TREES, TREES, TREES

for Progress and Peace

Dr Abe V Rotor

Part 1 - Trees for Peace

Part 2 - The Tropical Rainforest - Richest Ecosystem

Part 3 - Tropical Rainforest on the Wall

Part 4 - The Arboretum - Microcosm of a Tropical Forest (Living with Nature Center)

Part 5 - Woodland in the City (Arboretum of the University of Santo Tomas, Manila)

Part 6 - The Holy Father plants a tree.          

Part 7 - The Living Christmas Tree - Plant a tree this Christmas Season

Part 8 - Save the Trees this Palm Sunday  

Part 9 - Trophies of Nature

Part 10 - Trees in Winter in Brisbane, Australia

Part 11 - Greet Sunrise through the Trees

Part 12 - The Sound of Trees

Part 14 - Don't Cut the Trees, Don't

Part 15 - Trees are Benevolent Hosts

Part 14 -  A tree fell and took with it its tenants and symbionts.

Part 16 -  Bonsai is Nature's Art

Part 17 - Do you believe in tree spirit?

Part 18 - Nativity in the Forest

Part 19 - Towering Anahaw Palm Trees 

Part 20 - The Tree that Wears a Veil

Part 21 - Lost Forest

Part 22 - Driftwood Strange Creatures - Emissaries of Ecological Destruction

Part 23 - Trees on the Campus

Part 24 - I talk to the trees - and they listen to me.

Part 25 - Put Life into a Dying Tree

Part 26 - Dita, the tallest tree in Manila

Part 27 - Symbiosis of Drynaria Fern and Acacia Tree - More than Commensalism

Part 28 - Mythical Forest

Part 29 - Queer Looking Trees in Another World

Part 30 - Where Have all the Native Fruits Gone?

 Part 1 - Trees for Peace 

A Lesson on Ecology Through Art 

“Trees give peace to the souls of men.” - Nora Waln

Paintings by Dr Abe V Rotor

Convergence in acrylic by the author 2022

Tree of Liberty in acrylic by the author

"All I need to do is to climb a tree,

   and all the world knows I'm free." avr

“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life.” - Rumi

 

"White doves, emissaries of peace;

         Trees, living monuments of peace." avr

 

 

Somewhere between the valleys and mountains,

caves and cliffs, streams and rivers;

man craves for something beyond his Being,

        in verses and songs - and prayers.  - avr  

  

 

Wonder how birds in the sky see us down,

how minuscule we are, like their kind;

wonder how we look at them in the blue sky,

worlds apart we say yet we are one.  -avr

 “The bird who dares to fall is the bird who learns to fly.” - D. W. Journals ~

Part 2 - The Tropical Rainforest - Richest Ecosystem

 In celebration of International Day of Forests - March 21, 2023* 

"Rainforests are Earth's oldest living ecosystems, with some

surviving in their present form for at least 70 million years."

- National Geographic Society

A. Profile of the Tropical Rainforest

The rainforest serves as watershed, keeps river full and clean,

and creates a cool mini climate in the area, Bohol.

Reforestation rebuilds and increases stand of trees, Bohol

Let us look at the TRF profile like slicing a multi-layered cake and studying its profile. It is made up of storeys similar to a high-rise building. The “roof” or canopy is what we see as forest cover. Here and there are very tall trees called emergents like living towers jotting through the monotonous canopy.

From the air, the view of a tropical forest is one huge and continuous green blanket that catches the energy of the sun and through photosynthesis converts it into organic materials beginning with simple sugar to the most complex compounds from which useful materials are derived - wood, rubber, resin, and drugs, etc. These products are needed to sustain the life of countless organisms and the stability of the ecosystem itself.

From the forest floor, one can see only a little part of the sky, with the rays of the sun filtering through. But now and then, the trees, depending on the species, season and other environmental conditions, shed off their leaves, which can be compared to the molting of animals as they grow. Entire crowns of leaves fall and litter the forest floor. Transformation into humus continuously takes place with the aid of insects, bacteria, fungi, earthworms and the like. And this is very important because humus fertilizes the soil and conserves water acting as sponge and blanket.

This is one of the wonders of nature. Trees in a tropical rainforest have this special characteristic. They are not only self-fertilizing; they are soil builders. Through time, with the deciduous cycle repeated without end, the forest floor – even how thin the soil is, or how solid the underlying rock is – builds up, layer after layer, and it is this process that enables many organisms in the forest obtain their nutrition in order to grow.

      “He who plants a tree loves others beside himself.”- English Proverb

Deciduousness allows sunlight to pour over the previously shaded plants occupying the various layers or storeys, which serve as specific habitats or niches. Occupying the lowest part of the forest, which is equivalent to the ground floor of a building, are mostly annuals, ferns and bryophytes. Next are the shrubs which occupy the lobby and second floor, followed by undergrowth trees that reach a height equivalent to the third and fourth floor, lianas and epiphytes which may reach as high as the eighth floor. It is not surprising to find emergent trees reaching up the 200 feet.

How big can a tree grow and for how long? Take the case of the Redwoods or Sequoia found growing in southern California and China. I saw a tree of this kind in southern Taiwan, killed by lightning. The tallest redwood, which is still growing today is 267.4 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 40.3 feet. It is estimated to be 3,500 years old.

The analogy of the layers of a rainforest with a ten- or twelve-storey building gives us in imagination of the orderliness of nature in keeping the rich biodiversity of the ecosystem.

The true forest primeval – the rain forest – stands along the equator now reduced into a sanctuary of “living fossils” of plants and animals that once constituted the eternal green cover of the earth.

The canopy at one time or another allows the sky to meet the residents of the forest from the ground floor to the upper storeys -

Rainforest profile Sarawak, Borneo (Internet)

something that if you stand among the trees during this transformation you will find a kind of communion that, while it can be explained biologically, fills the spirit with the wonders and mysteries of nature.

The tropical rainforest is a natural menagerie where peace, music, colors, patterns, art and skill are not so well known to modern man. The high-perched artists like squirrels and monkeys are better acrobats by birth and practice than any known human acrobats. Many primates howl with electrifying, ear splitting and blood-chilling sound that breadth the land. Above plummet the masters of the sky – the Philippine eagle and hawks, spotting their preys which may be several kilometers away, or hundreds of meters below – something which our modern spotting scopes can not yet achieve with readiness and precision.

Inside their tunnels the termite workers tap their way and chop the wood for their colony and themselves. Man has yet to learn more about the social structure of this insect.

 B. The Tropical Rainforest’s Last Stand

The Tropical Rainforest could be the biblical Lost Paradise 

immortalized in the masterpieces of John Milton - Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained.

 

Aerial and closeup views of Bohol landscape.  .

It was after dawn and smoke from nearby homesteads rose with the mountain mist in Carmen, between Davao City and Tagum, when I spotted a company of loggers carrying a wooden cage looking very much like an oversized onion crate. To my curiosity I looked into the cage and found a pair of flying lemurs locally called kaguiang in Bisaya or ninmal in Samal Moro, clinging upside down and cringing from the first light of morning.

Cynocephalus volans Linneaus PHOTO, as the animal is scientifically called, is one of the rare mammals that can fly, an adaptation they share with the versatile bats. Unlike bats however, the flying lemur can only glide from tree to tree, a pair of thin expandable flap of skin and fur connecting the whole length of its front and hind legs serves as parachute and glider combined.

It was a pathetic sight. The pair was apparently captured when their natural habitat - tall trees that made the original forest were cut down for lumber, and the area subsequently converted into farmland in a most destructive system called swiden or kaingin farming.

Loss of Natural Habitat Results in Loss of Species

Scientists warn us that the loss of natural habitats will result in the disappearance of organisms. This is true to the flying lemurs – and this is true to thousands of different inhabitants in the tropical rainforest, the richest biome on earth.

It is estimated that more than half the species of plants, animals and protists live in the tropical rainforests. According to a Time report, there are as many as 425 kinds of living plants that are naturally occupying a hectare of tropical rainforest in the Amazon. Similarly our own rainforest is as rich because the Philippine lies on the same tropical rainforest belt together with Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia. There are 3,500 species of indigenous trees in our rainforest.

Imagine a single tree as natural abode of ferns, orchids, insects, fungi, lichens, transient organisms - birds, monkeys, frogs, reptiles, insects and a multitude more that escape detection by our senses. The tropical rainforest must be God’s chosen natural bank of biodiversity. The “Lost Paradise” that the Genesis describes and literary giant John Milton classically wrote – Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained – is undoubtedly one that resembles a tropical rainforest.

TRIVIA: 

. The total number of plant species used for medicinal purposes could be 

as high as 50 000.

. Several studies proved that a visit to a forest environment lowers blood pressure and pulse rate, and reduces cortisol levels.

. The world is losing 10 million hectares of forest each year due to deforestation - about the size of Iceland.  Source: FAO 2020

* International Day of Forests 2023 will be celebrated on the theme, ‘Forests and Health,’ which calls for giving, not just taking, recognizing that healthy forests will bring healthy people. The UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 21 March as the International Day of Forests in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.

Part 3 - Tropical Rainforest on the Wall

Mural Painting by Dr Abe V Rotor

              Wall Mural of a Tropical Rainforest, St Paul University QC, AVR 2001

Nature represents the idea of the entire universe in a state of perfection. Nature is one: it unites heaven and earth, connecting human beings with the stars and bringing them all together into a single family. Nature is beautiful; it is ordered. A divine law determines its arrangement, namely the subordination of the means to the end, and the parts to the whole.

After putting down my brush, I took a view of the mural from a distance. The scene – unspoiled nature – one spared from the hands of man and typified by the tropical rainforest, flowed out from a wall that was previously white and empty.

In the course of painting the mural, which took all of seven days and in the days following its unveiling, I took notice of the reactions of viewers. It must be the stillness of the scene, freshness of its atmosphere, and its apparent eccentricity that attract passersby as if in search of something therapeutic. It seems to slow down busy feet, soothing tired nerves. There is something I thought was mysterious beyond the levels of aesthetics. For the huge scene is a drama of life completely different from city living. It is respite. It is transformation from concrete to greenery, from cityscape to landscape.

Yet, I found it difficult to give it a title and an explanation that captures both its essence and message. This time many ideas crowded my mind. At the start of my painting labors, the challenge was how and where to start painting. Now that it is completed, what else is there to say after one has “said” it all in colors and lines, hues and shadows, perspective and design? What more is there to declare for after the last page of a book? For a painting, it is the same.

Relaxation did not come easy for me after many hours of concentrating on my subject, dealing with a fast-drying medium of acrylic. What made it more challenging was the unending attempt to capture those fleeting impressions and recollections that pervaded my mind as I painted. I then took a pen and slowly wrote my thoughts. From the mural, I saw the scenery of my childhood on the farm, views of my travels here and abroad, imagery from my readings, and views drawn out like a thread from the mass of a golf ball. It was imagery and memory working jointly.

Tropical Rainforest Model

I chose the tropical rainforest scenery since it is the richest of all ecosystems in the world. The Philippines, being one of the countries endowed with this natural wealth is a treasure, indeed. For this reason, I believe that, the tropical rainforest closely resembles the description of the biblical paradise. It is not only a living bank of biological diversity; it is the most important sanctuary of living matters on earth.

To paint such a big wall is no easy task. It is not unusual to face a blank wall, literally speaking, and not knowing what to do first even with all the colors and tools on hand – and a predetermined topic in mind. Shall I start at the center and move outward, or from both sides slowly progressing inward? Or do I divide the wall into parts, working on them one by one, then unifying them at the end?

…and Heaven and Nature Sing

Christmas was already in the air and the Siberian winds were bringing in the chills. Carol music was now being played in malls, schools and homes. I was engrossed in my work when some students, watching me paint, sang a familiar song. On this particular occasion, something about the song chimed inside me, directing me towards the central theme of my mural.

“…and heaven and nature sing,

and heaven and nature sing,

and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.”

           - Joy to the World

What does this mean? Is it the idea of nature representing the entire universe in a state of perfection? Or is it nature as one? Does it unite heaven and earth? Does it connect human beings and the galaxies as one family?

Little did I know of my ecology. As a subject I teach in college and in the graduate school I depend much on formulas and equations, principles and case studies. My knowledge about the environment is structured and formal. I use module maps or course syllabi based on accepted teaching techniques and references. My approach was comparative analysis. I was a judge of the beautiful and ugly, the do’s and don’ts. At times I am a Utopian; at others, conformist.

Little did I realize that the order of Nature is not merely determined by natural laws applied as ecological tenets, but as a divine law which determines its arrangement, the subordination of the means to the end, and the assimilation of the parts to the whole. Many of us are ignorant of this law, or if we know it, seem to forget or disregard it as we relentlessly work to exploit the earth.

In our apparent failure to preserve nature, perhaps it is time to look at ecology with the essence of this popular Christmas song – a song that makes everyday of the year, Christmas. Ecology is “heaven and nature singing together.” Only then can we truly understand the term, balance of nature – a kind of dynamic equilibrium that leads to homeostasis where there is stability among interdependent groups that characterize natural processes, and the period in which they take place. The ultimate conclusion is always a balanced system. We have to look beyond books to understand biological diversity, and its application in nature, to find the common phrase: In diversity there is unity. The general rule is that the wider the diversity is in terms of number of living species, and in terms of the number of natural species and their habitats, the more closely knit the biosphere becomes, resulting in a richer, more stable environment. Undoubtedly, all this is part of a grand design inspired divinely.

A Hole in the Sky

Looking at the mural from a distance one notices a darkened part of the sky, apparently a hole (though this is not the ozone layer pierced by CFC pollution). It gives one a feeling that it is a tunnel to infinity as if to link both earth and heaven. Through this hole, one envisions a Higher Principle. From the foreground, which is the placid stream of a downward meandering river, its tributaries and banks lined with trees and thickets, the eye soon reaches the forested hills and mountains shrouded by clouds.

But it does not end there. Here the cloud is a curtain laden with the radiance of the sun, and the life-giving provenance of rain, useless each without the other for life on earth to exist. This is the crossroad. The cloud opens with a backdrop of infinity. The universe, whose limit is unknown, bursts open a foreground that reveals a whole drama of life on earth. After that, the eye repeats the journey. In the process, the viewer becomes sensitive to the details of the painting. He searches for things familiar, or situations that later become a new experience.

Creatures in the Forest

Creatures in general are not as visible as they appear in books and on the screen. They blend with their surroundings mainly for predatory anticipation and protective camouflage. But there are other reasons too, that are not well understood. Take the case of the butterflies. Their beauty is extravagant for their basic function as pollinators. Fish jump for mere pleasure, dragonflies have wings that split light into prisms. Birds stay in the sky longer for the sheer joy of flying, and not just to cruise in search of a prey.

Among the animals suggested to me while painting the mural are flying lemur, Philippine monkey, heron, monitor lizard, boa constrictor and hornbill. I painted these - and many more, the way I imagined them in their natural habitat. I put a touch of Noah’s Ark, painting them in pairs. For the rodents, ducks and doves I made them in amiable groupings that exude a familial atmosphere.

Whenever I see viewers seriously searching for these creatures with walking fingers, I am tempted to add to the collection of creatures, making them even more difficult to find. But that might change the ambiance to fun and puzzle solving, rather than of meditation and recollection.

People in the Mural

The trees and the massiveness of the scenery dwarf the characters in the mural. They appear mindless of events and time. They care not for the chores of the day. Those who are engrossed fishing with a simple hook-and-line do not show excitement even as they land their catch. Others patiently wait for a bite. There is a sense of tranquility and peace to all characters, whether they are promenading or just passing the time away. Their faces show only the slightest hint of anger or sadness.

I noticed viewers trying to identify themselves with the characters of the mural. Some construction workers envision themselves fishing. High school students are drawn by the promenades. But there are those who simply imagine themselves part of the scene. “This place is familiar to me,” one would say, apparently recalling provincial life. “We have flying lemurs in Davao,” says another.

Where does the water flow, and what does the mural mean to us? Water is everywhere. It is free to flow. Tributaries abound as if there were no limit. Trees are everywhere and far into the backdrop is a vast virgin forest. There is no sign of man’s destructive hand. At the foreground is a placid pond where Nymphaea and lotus grow. It is in contrast to the lively pulse of the river. This is a corner where life is peaceful and serene. It is here that we draw strength in facing the river and beyond.

What really is the message of the mural?
Quite often, images of nature enrapture us. These are reminiscences of childhood, a re-creation of a favorite spot we may have visited or seen, or products of the imagination greatly influenced by the society we live in.

These images reflect a deep-seated biological longing to be part of nature. Putting it in the biblical sense, it is a natural searching for the lost paradise. They are a refuge from city living, a respite, and an escape from the daily grind.

But these images do not only tell us of what we are missing. Rather, it reminds us what we are going to miss, perhaps forever, if we do not heed nature’s signal towards a fast declining ecosystem. If we do not change our way of life from too much dependence on consumerism, to one more closely linked to conservation of nature, we may end up building memories and future archives of a lost world.

The warning is clear. The painting challenges everyone to do his part to save Mother Earth so that her beauty is not only kept in the form of images, but a scenery of real life enjoyed by us and future generations. ~

Reference: Living with Nature in Our Times
Copyright 2007 Abercio V Rotor and University of Santo Tomas 

                                     

Part 4 - The Arboretum - Microcosm of a Tropical Forest

Living with Nature Center

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Dr Abe V Rotor

This towering native mango is more than four generations old.  It dominates several heritage trees which include talisay (Terminalia catappa), caimito (Chrysophyllum cainito), and macopa (Eugenia jambalana), and other upcoming heritage trees in the arboretum. On its limbs and branches hang lianas and epiphytes like rosary bead (Abrus precatorius), philodendron, ferns, bromeliads, mosses and lichens.  The tree in itself is an ecosystem, complete in biodiversity and dynamic balance season after season in a state of homeostasis.   

  

A grove of heritage trees makes a fort-like wall against strong wind, 

flood and erosion - and irritating noise. (Trees are excellent buffers 

of sound.)  It is the home of arboreal animals like gecko lizard, 

bats, tree frogs, sparrows, wild honeybees, moths and butterflies, 

other arthropods notwithstanding.  The trees also serve as seasonal

 host to migrating birds like tarat, panal and perperocka, and 

occasionally martinez, black crow and kingfisher, and hawk. 

Heritage palm trees - anahaw (Livistona rotundifolia) and betel nut (Areca catechu) - rise as emergents through the canopy of the arboretum.  They are the abode of bats, resting during the day 

 under their drooping broad leaves - a perfect base for their 

nocturnal habit.

 

University of Northern Philippines students tour the arboretum

 for their outdoor research and extension studies.

   

On-the-spot painting contest under the trees is a rare experience of children from different schools of the Municipality of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, in celebration of Earth Day last April 22, 2023, sponsored by LGU 

and the Living with Nature Center.  

    

 My grandchildren - Mateo, Mackie and Markus - enjoy their summer 

vacation in the arboretum, a different kind of adventure to the 

young city-bred generation. 

 

A flimsy canopy of treetops allows sunlight to penetrate

 and nourish the small trees, shrubs and ground plants. 

This explains the dense vegetation of rainforests. The 

deciduous nature of most tropical trees, that is, seasonal 

shedding of leaves, enhances this phenomenon. 

 

Clearing in between trees is maintained regularly for outdoor

 workshops and study tours for house guests and study groups. 

Trees are robust and green throughout the year, and are most noticeable in the dry season, thus trees are the refuge of many organisms, from birds to reptiles - and even fish and amphibians - when the surrounding fields and ponds are virtually dry. 

Trees give off oxygen and capture carbon dioxide and other gases. 

They filter the direct rays and heat of the sun, dusts, spores, and radiation. Breeze, mist and dew keep temperature and humidity stable.
Music of nature - chirping of birds, shrill of cicada, fiddling of crickets, rustling of leaves, bass of toads and frogs - all these constitute a soothing and harmonious symphony.  Mozart's Effect must have originated in such ambiance, so with Beethoven's famous symphony,  Brahms's Lullaby and Grieg's Prelude to Morning. 

The Parthenon of Greece must have its origin from the imagination 

of our ancestors who saw the beauty and grace of standing trees reaching for the sky. Nature is indeed the greatest architect, and 

man is but her student.

The built-in knots, twists and crevices on trees are natural homes of lizards, bees, ants, birds, and the like. They also serve as rivulets and waterholes that catch and store rain and dew, serving as arboreal pond for dragonfly naiads, tadpoles, and even certain species of fish. Shown here are macopa (Eugenia jambalana) and palomaria trees (Callophyllum inophyllum), which are among the heritage trees in the arboretum.  

*An arboretum (plural: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed of trees and a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arboreta are in botanical gardens as living collections of woody plants and is intended at least in part for scientific study.

In Latin, an arboretum is a place planted with trees, not necessarily in this specific sense, and "arboretum" as an English word is first recorded used by John Claudius Loudon in 1833 in The Gardener's Magazine, but the concept was already long-established by then. Wikipedia

San Vicente Botanical Garden

Partial List of plants in their common and scientific names and family to which each plant species or variety belongs. Not alphabetically arranged and classified as to type of growth and other botanical characteristics, June 12, 2023

Dr Abe V Rotor

1.  Achiote or Annatto – Bixa orellana - Bixaceae

2.     Alagaw – Premna odorata - Lamiaceae

3.     Anahao -  Saribus rotundifolius - Caryophyllaceae

4.     Apatot – Morinda littoralis/citrifolia - Rubiaceae

5.     Arios – Podocarpus costalis - Gymnospermae

6.     Balete - Ficus benjamina - Moraceae

7.     Bird’s Nest fern – Asplenium nidus - Aspleniaceae

8.     Bougainvillea – Bougainvillea spectabilis Nyctaginaceae

9.     Bromeliad – Portea   spp - Bromeliaceae

10. Caballero plant – Caesalpinia pulcherrima - Fabaceae

11. Caimito – Crysophyllum cainito - Sapotaceeae    

12. Calamansi – Citrus macrocarpa - Rutaceae

13. Chico – Achras (Sapodilla) zapota - Sapotaceae

14. Chinese Bamboo – Bambusa multiplex - Poaceae

15. Coconut – Cocos nucifera - Arecaceae

16. Creeping Fig – Ficus pumila - Moraceae 

17. Cyperus – C. papyrus Cyperaceae

18. Dalandan – Citrus decumana - Rutaceae

19.  Duhat – Syzygium cumini – Myrtaceae

20.  False Bird of Paradise – Heliconia psittacorum – Heliconiaceae

21. Giant Bamboo – Dedrocalamus giganteus - Poaceae

22. Giant Thorny Bamboo – Bambusa bambos Poaceae

23. Aplas - Ficus hawili - Moraceae

24. Kalachuchi – Plumeria rubra/ P alba   Apocynaceae

25. Ilang-ilang – Cananga odorata - Annonaceae

26. Makopa – Eugenia jambalana - Myrtaceae

27.  Mayana - Coleus blumei - Lamiaceae

28.  Red Anthurium – A. andraeanum - Araceae   

29.  Sanggumay – Dendrobium anosmum Orchidaceae

30.  Bromeliad – Guzmania spp. Bromeliaceae

31.  Gumamela – Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Malvaceae

32.  Maguey – Agave cantala – Asparagaceae (sub-F Agavoideae)

33.    Mahogany - Swietinia macrophylla - Meliaceae

34. Strangler’s Fig (balete) Ficus benjamina - Moraceae

35. Molave – Vitex parviflora  - Verbenaceae

36. Narra – Pterocarpus indicus - Dipterocarpaceae

37. White Lauan – Shorea contorta - Dipterocarpaceae

38. Bitaog - Calophyllum inophyllum– Calophyllaceae

39.   Bikal Bamboo – Schizostachyum dielsianum - Poaceae

40.   Staghorn Fern – Platycerium bifurcatum - Polypodiaceae

41. Oak fern – Gymnocarpium dryopteris - Cystopteridaceae

42. Balimbing – Averrhoa bilimbi -Oxalidaceae  

43.   Tubang Bakod – Jatropha curcas - Euphorbiaceae

44. Jatropha (coral plant) – Jatropha podagrica/multifida - Euphorbiaceae

45. Castor bean – Ricinus communis - Euphorbiacae  

46. Calamansi – Citrus microcarpa - Rutaceae

47. Sampalok – Tamarindus indica – Ceasalpiniaceae

48. Banaba – Lagerstroemia speciosa - Lythraceae

49. Golden Shower – Cassia fistula - Fabaceae

50. Lobster’s Claw plant – Heliconia rostata - Heliconiaceae

51. Soro-soro – Euphorbia neriifolia - Euphorbiaceae

52. Buntot Tigre – Cordyline roxburghiana - Agaveceae 

53. Barbados Cherry – Malphighia emarginata

54. Kamachili – Pithecolobium dulce - Fabaceae

55. Pandakaki – Tabernaemontana pandakaqui - Apocynaceae

56. Pandan – Pandanus amaryllifolius - Pandanaceae

57. Mahogany – Swietenia macrophylla - Meliaceae

58. Maiden Hair Fern – Adriatum raddianum - Pteridaceae

59. Lantana plant – Lantana camara - Verbenaceae

60. Nangka – Artocarpus heterophyllus - Moraceae

61.   Philodendron – P. melanochrysum

62.   Indian Mast Tree – Polyalthia longifolia

63. Fishtail palm – Caryota mitis - Arecaceae

64. Shanghai Beauty – Jatropha integerrima - Euphorbiaceae

65. Selaginella – S, lepidophylla/braunii - Selaginellaceae

66. Tsaang Gubat – Ehretia microphylla - Boraginaceae 

67. Manga – Mangifera indica - Anacardiaceae

68. Mulberry – Morus nigra - Moraceae  

69. Yellow Bell – Tecoma stans – Bignoniaceae family

70. Kamias – Averrhoa bilimbi - Oxalidaceae

71.   Forget-Me-Not – Myosotis scorpioides - Boraginaceae

72.   Rambutan – Nephelium lappaceaum  - Sapindaceae

73. Bromeliad – Portea   spp - Bromeliaceae

74. Sisal – Agave sisalana - Agavaceae

75. Thorns of Christ plant – Euphorbia milii - Euphorbiaceae

76. Mickey Mouse plant – Ochna serrulate Ochnaceae

77. Lagundi – Vitex negundo Verbenaceae

78.   Lotus – Nelumbium nelumbo Nelumbonaceae 

79.   Nymphaea – Nymphaea alba/ colorata - Nymphaeaceae

80. Santol – Sandoricum koetjape - Meliaceae

81. Tibig – Ficus nota - Moraceae

82. Fortune plant – Dracaena sanderiana - Asparagaceae
83. Gummamela - Hibiscus rosa-sinensis - Malvaceae
84. Palmera – Borassus flabellifer - Araceae
85. Talisay (Lugo’) – Terminalia catappa - Combretaceae ~

Part 5 - Woodland in the City 

(Arboretum of the University of Santo Tomas, Manila)

An arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended as a "living gene bank" and field laboratory. As a park an arboretum adds beauty to the place, and creates a mini-climate in the area.

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

Chinese parasol, a relative of the Baobab Tree (tree mentioned in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery', also the queer looking giant tree in The God's Must be Crazy). Lower photos show the tree in bloom which is usually in summer.

Talisay tree (Terminalia catappa) or umbrella tree in its incipient deciduous stage. With the coming of Amihan season the leaves turn golden yellow to orange and red, then fall off to the ground leaving the tree a almost bare. New leaves will soon replace the crown.

Fire tree (Delonix regia) during its non-flowering season is a lush towering tree, its leaves almost blocking the sun. At the onset of summer, its leaves fall off and are replaced by clusters of fire red flowers, hence the name of the tree.

Dita (Alstonia scholaris) is the tallest tree on the campus, surpassing the height of the main building sans its tower cross.

Another dita tree, also in the Botanical Garden proper, is estimated to be one hundred years old. Dita is very resistant to pollution and to injury. It produces milky sap that immediately closes its wounds. The sap traps insects like a fly catcher entombing victim in the process. Fossil insects are made this way.

 

Left: Prop roots of rubber tree (Hevea braziliensis), a relative of the balete (right photo). They belong to Family Moraceae which also includes fig, nangka and breadfruit. Here graduate students examine the hanging roots which will eventually become prop roots or false trunks. As the tree grows these prop roots spread out of the central trunk making it appear to be "walking." Centuries old trees like the banyan (Ficus benghalensis) become so massive that they form natural arches and caves.

Anahaw palm (Livistona asiatica) towers over neighboring narra trees (Pterocarpus indicus). Anahaw as well as buri (Corypha elata) are now threatened species.

 

Camphor trees dominated the front lawn of UST until recently. Cinnamomum camphora (also known as camphorwood or camphor laurel) is a large evergreen tree that is a source of oil, pharmaceutical products and timber. Being sensitive to flooding and pollution, even the older trees such as these in the photo apparently exhibit premature aging. Right, camphor tree laden with climbing Philodendron.

 

Botong (Barringtona asiatica), produces nut-like fruits that bear seeds poisonous to insects and fish. Graduate students examine the unique shape and structure of the pod.

Antipolo (Arthocarpus sp) tree has broad leaves, perhaps the biggest of the dicots. It is related to nangka and rimas, as well as figs.

Lianas make a natural curtain. Here students conduct field studies in biology and ecology. They study interrelationships of plants - competition, symbiosis, parasitism, succession, etc.

Top view of the Botanical Garden, formerly Pharmacy Garden. It is one of the few gardens in the heart of the metropolis. It is a sanctuary of wildlife displaced by urbanization. Plants are allowed to grow naturally like in a forest. 

NOTE: In the strict sense, an arboretum is a collection of trees. Related collections include a fruticetum (from the Latin frutex, meaning shrub), and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended as a "living gene bank" and field laboratory. As a park an arboretum adds beauty to the place, and creates a mini-climate in the area. ~                            

        

Part 6 -  The Holy Father plants a tree.         

          In celebration of the Pope's universal call, Laudato Si'          

Dr Abe V Rotor

In observance of the UN International celebrations: Earth Day (April 22), 

Day of Biodiversity (May 22), and Environment Day (June 6).  Above all, it is in keeping with our everyday commitment to Laudato Si' (Care for our common home, the Earth).

1. When spring comes without stir, “don't go gentle into the night,” rise and find out where have all the birds gone to herald the new season, the new beginning of life.

2. When the monsoon ends too soon, summer sets early, the land scorched, the rivers and ponds dried up, warn of the coming of a severe El Niño phenomenon.

3. When algal bloom in make-believe proportion spreads in lakes, sound the alarm of fish kill coming to avert losses and hunger, and save the ecosystem.

4. When people move to cities in exodus, convince them, advise government, it is a tender trap that takes them away from the real Good Life on the countryside.

5. When clouds simply pass over the landscape, take the lead to reforest the hills and mountains, restore the watershed with a million and one trees.

6. When flood sweeps the land taking with it lives and properties, and eroding soil fertility, be part of rehabilitation and planning; believe that flood can be tamed.

7. When you find an abundance of lichens of different types on trees and rocks, assure residents of the pristine condition of their environment, and help them to preserve it.

8. When and where wildlife areas are shrinking, backyards and idle lots can be developed as alternative wildlife sanctuary, initiate this as a community project.

9. When asked what vegetables are safe from pesticide residues and chemicals from fertilizers, promote native species like malunggay, kamote tops, gabi, saluyot, and the like, they are also more nutritious and easy to grow.

10. When asked of Nature's way of maintaining the ecosystem, explain the role of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, composting, symbiosis, among other natural processes and cycles.

11. When additives are found in food - MSG, Nutrasweet or any artificial sugar, salitre in sausage, sulfite in white sugar, melamin in milk, formalin in fish, warn the public against taking these, initiate through legislation and campaign to ban these additives.

12. When children spend too much time before the TV, on computers, and other gadgets, offer alternatives more favorable to their upbringing and well-being by getting close to nature like camping, gardening and other outdoor activities.

13. When old folks talk about traditional wisdom and values, demonstrate native skills, listen and translate them into useful applications, disseminate these in school and through extension.

14. When animals are restless, reptiles and rodents coming out of their burrows and dens, fish attempting to escape, fowls noisy, suspect the coming of a force majeure such as earthquake, and be alert to face possible consequences.

15. When pandemic like COVID-19 threatens mankind, or an epidemic threatens an area, say flu or cholera initiate community cooperation with health and other institutions to prevent further spread of the disease. Take the same action against Avian Flu, ASF of swine, Tungro of palay, and the like.  

16. When a child has little concern about the environment, teach him, guide him to explore the beautiful world of nature, and make him realize his importance and his role.

17. When there is a worthy movement to save the environment, such as Clean and Green, Piso sa Pasig, or any local campaign, lead and extend your full support.

18. When there are farms and fishponds neglected or abandoned, find out how these are put back to their productive conditions, or converted into a wildlife sanctuary.

19. When at rest or in confinement for health reason, explore natural remedies with plants, pet therapy, and other proven remedies

20. When on a fine Sunday morning you hear birds in the trees, fish splashing in a pond, and plants bloom, say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving in music and poetry, painting, or simply a reflection of the magnificence of creation. ~

*In keeping with the Pope's universal call, Laudato Si' The key idea behind it is that of “integral ecology”, i.e. that people and planet are part of one family where the Earth is our common home. It invites people to protect God's creation for future generations, to embrace a lifestyle change for their own good, and to take care of people who are poor and more vulnerable. (Internet)

                          Part 7 - The Living Christmas Tree

Plant a tree this Christmas Season

                                         Dr Abe V Rotor 

The living Christmas Tree gives food, water, shelter, energy, the basic provisions of life.  Above all, it is a great expression of love this Christmas Season.

 Don't cut trees for Christmas, don't!

Plant trees instead and build beautiful memories with the family as the trees grow Christmas after Christmas.  In the process they become living Christmas Trees the year round, and year in and out. For Christmas is not just for one occasion where a tree top is decorated and thrown away after. Millions of trees are sacrificed every Christmas this way. 

.Pine treetops for sale

This contributes to loss of vegetation, which in turn results in soil erosion and siltation, flooding and largely to global warming.

Loss of trees decreases oxygen in the air, since trees absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.  They are the earth's primary lungs.  And they contribute to favorable micro climates in their domain. They catch the rain and store it as groundwater and spring.  They feed the streams and rivers and keep the ponds and lakes full, and the estuaries in good condition.

Just a single tree, we may say, does not mean anything - and it's Christmas. Anyway and it comes once in a year.   With millions, nay billions, celebrating Christmas, collective loss is unimaginable.  

What can we do to have an instant living Christmas tree? You don't have to go far if there is a tree in your backyard on along the sidewalk.  

You can have a potted tree seedling by the window with simple decor.  No lights.  Just some ribbon and colored cutouts.

 
Tree planting to save Mother Earth.

If the tree is large, decorate sparingly with a dozen lights, preferably LED.  Don't forget the traditional parol on its top, lighthouse effect of sort.

• If there's a tree house, the ambiance of Christmas should be focused there.  The tree itself may be sparingly decorated.

• Shrubs and small trees are not exacting to decors.  Just don't over decorate.

• Plant a tree this Christmas can be made as a community campaign.  Decide the place of tree planting: a park, along the highway, on a watershed.  Celebrate Christmas with this occasion. Don't forget to take care of the trees thereafter. 

• Plant trees that are adapted in the area.  Conifers (pines) are temperate; get tropical species (e.g., narra) for the tropics.

Artificial Christmas trees are most convenient to have, but consider the cost and effect to health and environment. Recycled waste materials draws out artistic talent. This is fine, it reduces waste - or at least gives a "second life", beautiful at that of materials otherwise thrown away. Just be careful with the harmful effects of deteriorating second hand and recycled materials.  Don't keep them indoor. 

The most meaningful Christmas is one that addresses our time and effort to solving problems concerning our well-being and the environment. The living Christmas Tree is one that gives food, water, shelter, energy, the basic provisions of life, above all it is a great expression of love to Nature and our fellowmen this Christmas Season. . 

---------------------------

CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY WITH POINSETTIA

                   Poinsettia pulcherrima cultivars

 

 

 

Acknowledgement: Internet Photos ~

Part 8 - Save the Trees this Palm Sunday  

The Christian world loses millions and millions worth of palm trees every Palm Sunday. Trees take a holiday with the Corona Virus pandemic.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Let's join the movement Ecological Reconciliation espoused by the Holy Father (Laudato Si' Encyclical), and local church leaders led by Fr Benigno Beltran SVD. This is a yearly appeal from this website addressed to the leaders of the Church, the faithful, and mankind as one. Let's plant trees instead and take good care of them.

The Christian world loses millions and millions worth of palm trees every Palm Sunday. Coconut-based economy is the worst hit - the source of many domestic and export products, and the foundation of people's livelihood. The coconut is the most important tree in maintaining the balance of tropical ecosystems.

Whatever happened to the sacredness of Palm Sunday!

 

Bundles of palm fronds (young leaves of coconut and other palm trees) attest to the massive destruction and decimation of palms in the Christian world.

Lavish and wasteful observance of Lent while Nature suffers 

and people lose their livelihood. 

Let's join hands to save the trees  

• Don't use young (bud) leaves of coconut for palaspas. You will kill the tree.
• Conserve the Oliva or the Cycads. They are living fossils, older than the dinosaurs. They are now endangered.                                    

PHOTO: Oliva or Cycad, a living fossil is now endangered. 

• Don't strip the young leaves of buri and anahaw palms. They are now in the list of threatened species. 
• Get only the mature leaves - never the young leaves or bud. Get only a small leaf or part of it. Don't be wasteful. 
• There's no need for each faithful to carry palaspas. One for a whole family is enough.
• Get substitute plants that are not ecologically endangered and economically threatened. (Examples: MacArthur's Palm, palmera, Areca or betel nut, bunga de Jolo, and 101 non-palm plants from bamboo to ground orchid). Use mature or older leaves - never the young leaves and buds.
• Seek advice from your community and religious leaders, and environmentalists.


Religious Practices Effects to Health and Environment

• Retreat and reflection is therapy, helps the mind and body release tension and do away with the effects of stress.

Buri palm (Corypha) is now classified as threatened species

• Abstinence conserves animal population especially during the lean months, conserving breeding stocks - like seeds (binhi) – in order to multiply in the next season.

• To some religions pork is banned. Pork is a carrier of known parasites such as tapeworm, hookworm, and ascaris.

• On Palm Sunday trees are stripped off of their buds, leaves and stems. This is detrimental  to the environment especially in summer when plants face tight water regime. Millions of pesos worth of coconut trees, potential to provide nuts continuously for a period of up to 30 years, are simply sacrificed for a day's ritual. Endangered species such as the Cycad (Oliva), are pushed to the brink of extinction.

• Ancient religions regard certain places and trees sacred, thus enhancing their conservation. Such worship was replaced by later religions, thus losing their protection.

• The washing of feet is not only ritual, it is also sanitation, getting rid of germs and preventing their spread.

. Avoid dipping your fingers into the holy water bowl, and never wash your hands or face in it. Running holy water is best.

. Take communion on your palm, never with your tongue. Epidemic such as H1N1 (flu) can be spread this way.

Holding hands in prayer is discouraged also for health and sanitation, keeping ones privacy in reverence, notwithstanding. Kissing icons is likewise discouraged for the same reason. Wiping holy objects with handkerchief will only pick up germs.

. Paying last respect to the dead should be done with extreme care, especially if the cause of death is highly contagious like anthrax, Ebola and SARS. Remember the tragic death of some religious sisters who contacted Ebola from their dead colleague?

. Don't walk on your knees to the altar; kneeling in prayer is enough. Be kind to your knee tendon and kneecap; knee injury may incapacitate you permanently. "You re not growing younger," an elder advised me. Let's learn from athletes who retired early because of knee injury.

. Removing shoes before entering a house of worship is an expression of respect and reverence, as well as for purposes of maintaining sanitation in the place. Any footwear carries dirt and germs, and may be teems with bacteria and fungi from long and intimate wear. This practice may not be as strict in Catholic churches as in Muslim mosques and Buddhist temples. Removing shoes in other places like prayer rooms, wakes, even homes, are becoming a popular practice.

. Many religious ceremonies are without the use of incense. Incense smoke and scent usually produce a pleasant and calming effect to the faithful. It is also an effective fumigant against flying and crawling insects. Its repellant effect helped keep down the spread of bubonic plague during the Middle Ages. The causal organism which killed a third of the population in the known world is carried by flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) that resides in rats. Incense comes in various preparations and offerings, candle sticks among the most common. Burning candles have similar but lesser effects. To get rid of flies around food, plant one or two burning candles to keep them at bay. Try it.

Sprinkling holy water with lotus flower before entering the Buddha Shrine. (Grand Palace, Bangkok)

Candle offering is often wasteful and dangerous. It also makes the place untidy. A lighted candle in an enclosed room reduces oxygen level while filling it with CO2 and the deadly Carbon Monoxide. (Our Lady of Manaoag Shrine, Manaoag Pangasinan.)

NOTE: I invite the readers to list down other religious practices - favorable and not - and send them through Comments. It will indeed enrich this article.

Proof of destruction on the altar of faith could be as evident as after a typhoon and other force majeure on the economy and environment. 

Coconut tops other coastal trees against the onslaught of tsunami and storm surge.  

(Acknowledgement: Internet and FAO photos)

NOTE: This article served as a yearly lesson for 30 years on the defunct Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio as host and the author as broadcast instructtor.  738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday, linked with  Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS) network, and this Blog avrotor.blogspot.com

  Part 9 -Trophies of Nature

Dr Abe V Rotor

Trophies in vanity and pride,

in gold and silver, huge and tall;

Nature pleading on the other side,

for man to remember the Fall.   

  

 

A trophy - dead branch from a forest before, its 

message clear to the logger, and slash-and-burn 

farmer, could their conscience bear?     

 

Left:  Whatever happened to Noah's emissary - the blackbird, 

now extinct save its replica in the museum. 

 Right:  Driftwood "fished out" from the sea bears fossils 

and empty burrows.   

 

Left: Who is proud of having a souvenir - a head of a deer - on the wall?

Mirror of man's folly and cruelty, compassion if any at all.

Right: Splinters and shards, remnants of a once majestic tree, 

we openly call with pride as heritage tree.

 

Left: Trophy made of a thorny cherry - but why man's enemy

when it gives the sweetest jelly?

Right: "Womb of a Tree" - abode of a symbiont in mutual 

relationship with the host tree. Now both are gone.

 

We kill trees for their weird looks. Superstition prevails over 

intellect. We can only surmise who deserve to receive 

these trophies?

  

Duck Head  Figurine

 

Once hunted on water and in air,

now figurine, a grim reminder.   

 

Driftwood trophy

 "You can hear the sea in the city."  Does this giant shell 

deserve this acclaim for its demise? 

Why gold or silver a trophy;

why not remnant of a tree,

 shells forgotten and empty,

to wake us up to reality?

 

 

Driftwood Table Decor

Wasteland in the hall,

  a dreaded scene,

   aftermath of the Fall, 

of man's first Sin. 

Nature Trophies Unlimited

A collection of Nature remains which resemble unique features of creatures and objects, a subject of pseudoscience called cryptobiology. On display at the author's residence at the Living with Nature Center in San Vicente Ilocos Sur. ~

            Part 10 - Trees in Winter in Brisbane, Australia

“It seems like everything sleeps in winter, but it’s really a time of renewal and reflection.”— Elizabeth Camden, Until the Dawn

Photographs and Painting by Dr Abe V Rotor

"With paintbrush and acrylic colors, half lying on the lawn, I tried to capture the scene on canvas, the sun overcast revealing the undergrowth as temperate trees are  mainly deciduous, save the evergreens mainly gymnosperms -  cypresses and pines." - AV Rotor    

"I found new life in a dead tree, a pair of birds singing." - AV Rotor

 

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face." — Victor Hugo

"One can follow the sun, of course, but I have always thought that it is best to know some winter, too, so that the summer, when it arrives, is the more gratefully received.” — Beatriz Williams

In winter meditate and reflect.  "The tree is more than first a seed, then a stem, then a living trunk, and then dead timber. The tree is a slow, enduring force straining to win the sky." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The woods, unlike our tropical rainforest, are sparse as the trees undergo hibernation in winter.  In the Southern hemisphere the seasons are exactly the opposite of ours in the northern hemisphere, when it is summer, it is winter in Australia,* 

"Do trees, like many of us humans, feel lonely and alone in winter?  There is a 

difference  between being alone and being lonely. Being alone is being away from others because you choose to. Being lonely is when there is no one there for you." 

Winter is grace, winter is preparation.  Meditate in the woods and learn more about life.

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”— Anne Bradstreet,

“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”— Paul Theroux

“Grace grows best in winter.” — Samuel Rutherford

Meditation with the trees. "The tendinous part of the mind, so to speak, is more developed in winter; the fleshy, in summer. I should say winter had given the bone and sinew to literature, summer the tissues and the blood." - John Burroughs

"I do an awful lot of thinking and dreaming about things in the past and the future - the timelessness of the rocks and the hills - all the people who have existed there. I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show.” — Andrew Wyeth

"Signs of spring, though still a month ahead, are found in garden 

plants growing in flower pots and plots cared by human hands."  

  Part 11 - Music in the Trees  in Wintertime

Brisbane, Australia 

Each leaf a note with the wind and in falling to the ground, a firefly beams with flashes of notes, crawlers in cadence of their own, and the treetops like the grass sway in cantabile, the winter wind chills in vibration, the germinating seeds whisper - all in keeping with the baton of Nature.

The Woods in Brisbane in Wintertime, Painting in acrylic 

by the author. July 2023

How I love to paint the trees on the backyard of my daughter's family house in Brisbane, just across a railing to a park, kept in its natural state which I call "woods", reminiscent of Robert Frost's description of woods in his poem, to quote, "the woods are lovely dark and deep."

But the woods here are sparse as they undergo hibernation in winter, because in the Southern hemisphere the seasons are exactly the opposite of ours in the northern hemisphere, when summer to us is winter in Australia, owing to the inclination of the earth's axis.

When I, my wife and son, took a vacation in Brisbane the temperature was less than 10 degrees Celsius on the average, with occasional gusts of wind and drizzle, and fog that would shroud the trees, rivers and lakes, yet as a whole the climate was invigoratingly fresh, though quite cool.

There with paintbrush and acrylic colors, half lying on the lawn, I tried to capture the scene on canvas, the sun overcast revealing the undergrowth as temperate trees are  mainly deciduous, save the evergreens mainly gymnosperms -  cypresses, and pines, like agoho that we know.

The birds came to greet us, I supposed, or they were attracted by the music of my violin as I played some popular and semi-classical tunes, including our Kundiman.  Isn't music universal, understood differently by all creatures, not only man but animals and plants - and the minutiae, as well?

Each leaf a note with the wind and in falling to the ground, a firefly beams with flashes of notes, crawlers in cadence of their own, and the treetops like the grass sway in cantabile, the winter wind chills in vibration, the germinating seeds whisper - all in keeping with the baton of Nature. 

I viewed my painting for a long time, long enough to meditate on its rendition, not for its incompleteness or simplicity, for after all, there's no end at aiming perfection, and it is the viewer who completes what the artist may have missed.  Such is the mystery of art, it reflects upon us beyond our comprehension in awe and reverence.  

* The earth's vertical axis tilts by 23.5 degrees, equivalent to an angle of 66.5 from the orbital plane. The earth maintains this tilt throughout its revolution. This is known as the parallelism of the earth's axis which explains the reason for the occurrence of seasons alternately occurring in opposite phases between the northern and southern hemispheres.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The painting hangs at the sala of the home of my daughter, her husband, and their two young children who joined me, their Lolo, in this rare adventure with nature.~  

Part 12 - Greet Sunrise through the Trees

"Morning comes early as the sun peeps through the trees;

greet the birds and butterflies, lovers and artists." avr

Dr Abe V Rotor

Wake up under the green umbrella of trees, 

     cool and invigorating; 

Breathe freely, away from the stale city air,

     and catch the breeze passing.

Let the morning settle down on dewdrops,

     on mist like curtain parting;

Just let the world go by on Nature's scale,

     and life's sweet rhythm singing. 

Wake up from too much haste and worry,

     life's not a race for winning;

You may have the happiest moment in life,

     listen to the trees singing. ~ 

Canopy of heritage trees laden with lianas and ferns, 

Living with Nature Center, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur 

Greet Sunrise Through the Trees in acrylic by the author. ~

“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”

— Kahlil Gibran

*Original Title - 2022 Year of the Trees

                  Part 13 - Listen to the Trees

"I like to take the time out to listen to the trees, much in the same way that I listen to a sea shell, holding my ear against the rough bark of the trunk, hearing the inner singing of the sap. It's a lovely sound, the beating of the heart of the tree." - Author: Madeleine L'Engle"

Photos by Dr Abe V Rotor

Caimito (Chrysophylum cainito); Talisay (Lugo Ilk) Terminalia catappa)

 

I'm a pygmy among giant trees,

     like walls of a fort guarding

against gust, noise, dust and glare,

     whispering and singing.

They greet me as the sun rises,

     bid me before sundown;

to my forebears and my children,

     bestow them the biggest crown. - avr

Macopa or Wax Apple (Syzygium samarangense)

"I hear them laugh with the breeze

and make my life at ease;

I talk to them when lonely and sad,

and hush me when mad." - avr

"Listen to no one's advice except that of the wind in the trees. That can recount the whole history of mankind." - Claude Debussy

"I love the sound of the wind in the trees and the song of the birds and the shuffle in the leaves of my many woodland friends." - Jason Mraz

 

Living stumps of Gmelina arborea

 felled by typhoon Lawin in 2016

Knock, knock, who is there?

a toad, a skink, asleep;

whispers the passing wind,

wake up, it's time to eat. - avr

 

"There was no sound but the murmur of nasty little stinging insects, the occasional crack of a falling branch, and the whispering of the trees discussing religion and the trouble with squirrels." - Author: Terry Pratchett

"With watercolour, you can pick up the atmosphere, the temperature, the sound of snow shifting through the trees or over the ice of a small pond or against a windowpane. Watercolour perfectly expresses the free side of my nature." - Author: Andrew Wyeth

"Listen ... With faint dry sound, Like steps of passing ghosts, The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break free from the trees And fall." - Author: Adelaide Crapsey

Towering heritage anahaw (Livistona rotundifolia)  

"Living towers you thrill us all,

sentinel, belfry, flagpole." - avr    

Trees do not preach learning and precepts. They preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life." ― Herman Hesse

Part 14 -    DON'T CUT THE TREES, DON'T 

Dr Abe V Rotor 

“To see the world in a grain of sand

And a heaven a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour,”

                                           William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

  Many years ago I recited this verse before my teachers in literature in high school, Mrs. Socorro Villamor and Miss Leonor Itchon, at the Colegio de la Imaculada Concepcion, now Divine Word College of Vigan. Hesitatingly I proceeded to interpret it.

Because I lived on the farm, the world I knew then was a physical one and the kind of life associated with it was as simple as the passing of seasons - when the rains come and the fields turn into a carpet of green until harvest time comes when the grains turn gold. I recalled my childhood in this poem I wrote years later.

Ambiance of Autumn in the Philippines in acrylic by the author c 2002

Childhood is when nobody misses
The morning before the sun rises,
Before the herons stake for fish,
And finches chirp in the trees.

War is fought with kites and fishing poles,
In hide-and-seek and barefoot races;
Faith grows with seasons the sky extols,
Virtues all that friendship embraces.

Summer is short, rainy days are long,
All these are but passing imagery,
For the young can’t wait, yet all along
The years, remains a lasting memory.

  

To recite again Blake’s verse brings out a larger view of life and the world. The innocence of childhood has given way to realities of adult life. The environment has lost much of its pristine nature. A revolution of knowledge has reached global proportion.

The essence of the verse now touches the dimension of philosophy rising above its own literary meaning. Its humility has turned into a challenge, like Markham raising a social issue against society, viewing poverty in Millet’s romantic painting, The Gleaners.

Indeed, progress has brought folly to man to dream of power – even to the point of transgressing creation, a dream that borders between reason and passion, temperance and lust, waking up a sleeping god in man that drives him to wrest control over time and space, pursue beauty and pleasure as he wishes. He has cracked the atom and the DNA, and amassed tremendous wealth and power. And he has started to probe the universe. Which only means man is playing God, the old sin of disobedience. “Quo vadis, Homo sapiens?”

Heritage trees, Mt. Makiling, UPLB Laguna 

After retiring from government service and subsequently finding a niche in the academe, I found time once again to read the works of my favorite authors such as John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained and Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.

I found again Alexander Pope, Thomas Gray, William Shakespeare, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - and of course, our very own Ophelia Dimalanta, Jose Villa, Sionil Jose, NVM Gonzales, Nick Joaquin, Rolando Carbonel, to name some local literary giants. From them I found valuable lessons, not only about nationalism, culture and the art of living, but techniques and style of using English, being a second language to many of us.

Henry David Thoreau (Walden Pond) and the great naturalist Charles Darwin (The Origin of Species), brought me close to Nature and led me to experiment in combining ecology and literature.

As I was writing this book, I could not help but ask myself, Will man ever regain his place in Paradise while he is on earth?

I can only imagine what the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin must have been thinking while at work at his masterpiece, The Thinker. What inspired Michelangelo's The Creation showing an omnipotent Creator reaching out for Adam at a spark’s distance from His finger? I remember other thought-provoking masterpieces like Salvador Dali’s Melting Clocks, and Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Perhaps Helen Keller who wrote, If I were given Three Days to See, saw more about the world than some people do who are not blind.

From where I was transfixed in reflection, absorbed in serious thoughts, a flock of pigeons soared into the sky. A chilly breeze whistled through the trees and joined the lilting children playing, and the sound of busy feet on the camino real. Time passed and a kind of stillness settled. I recited the old verse again. It brought nostalgic reflection of the past and the sinking sun.

As I prepared to leave for home I noticed a weed growing along the path that I was to take. I gently picked the lowly plant and examined it against the reddening sky. Why it bore flowers in disguise!

From here I began writing Don’t Cut the Trees, Don’t.~

  

Haunting shadow of a standing dead tree (camphor, Cinnamomum camphora) UST campus; requiem to a giant balete tree (Ficus benjamina), Lagro Subdivision QC.

--------------------

Don’t Cut the Trees, Don’t is a collection of ecology poems and paintings of nature. The tree is taken to represent the environment. Each poem and each painting is like a leaf of a tree each revealing a little of the many marvels of this unique creation. Each poem and each painting is a plea on behalf of this new vision and of this new ethics. Concealed behind each poem and each painting is the spirit of the author, Dr. Abercio V. Rotor, a man whose love and passion for the environment is well-known. (Armando F. De Jesus, Ph.D., Dean, UST Faculty of Arts and Letters)

It is a substantial collection, departing from the usual stale air of solitariness and narcissism which permeates most poetry today. It is therefore a welcome contribution to Philippine poetry in English, livened by visuals that add color to the poetic images. The oeuvre is not only pleasurable because of this. The poetic ability of the poet himself enriches the whole exciting poetic experience, a blurring of the line separating man from the rest of the living creatures outside. Every poem indeed becomes “flowers in disguise” using the poet’s own words. (Ophelia A. Dimalanta, Ph.D. Director, Center for Creative Writing and Studies, UST) ~

Part 13 - Trees are Benevolent Hosts

Dr Abe V Rotor

The tree laughs, talks, with all the joys of childhood.
"A tree is a joy forever." Tandang Sora QC

Playing hide-and-seek in a bamboo grove. The
spirit of the place gives quaintness to living.
Taal, Batangas

A fallen mango tree makes a romantic
ambiance. (Atimonan, Quezon)

Phylodendron gains foothold on Dita tree (Alstonia
scholaris) as it reaches for the sun several meters high.
UST Botanical Garden

Algae and mosses live on the spongy bark of acacia,
providing nutrients to the tree, and creating a
favorable microclimate. UP Diliman, QC

Balete (Ficus benjamina) strangles emergent tree
with interlacing roots and branches locking its host
to certain death, hence gaining a notorious name of
Strangler's Fig. Mt Makiling, Laguna

Roots are exposed by slow erosion reveal tenacity
of this tree. The tree allows growth of plants and
animals like millipede and land snails, as well as
micro-organims, many are symbionts to the tree.
Mt Makiling Botanical Garden, UPLB

Interlacing roots, principle of inarching, riprap
slopes and banks, provide abode to many organisms.
Mt Makiling, Laguna.

Fruticose lichen clings on bark of tree. Lichens are
communities of algae and fungi. They aid in food
production and recycling of organic matter, as well
as help conserve water. Caliraya Lake, Laguna

Crustose lichen coats trunk of young tree. Lichens are
important to the tree; they also indicate pristine
condition of the environment. Caliraya Lake, Laguna

Drynaria fern as ephipyte helps conserve water, attract
wildlife that protects trees from pests and diseases.
It is not unusual that a branch gives way to the weight
of the tenant fern. St. Agustin Parish, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur

Even after death the tree remains a host to red
mushroom, termites, other saprophytes and
decomposers, giving off its entire energy to
serve the living world.

Part 14 

 A tree fell and took with it its tenants and symbionts.

Everything was quiet, then came a gust of wind from nowhere.  It sent a ten-year old samat tree crashing across the street.   

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

   

Workers in the neighborhood in Lagro QC clear the blockage to restore traffic flow and electricity. Samat or binunga (Macaranga tenarius) though sturdy is no contest to the power of wind. But where did the cyclone-strong wind come from in a fine weather?

I felt obliged to do my own research having been the one who planted the tree in 2003 from a seedling I got from our home in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur. I needed the mature and yellow leaves in brewing wine and making vinegar.  Marlo, my son needed the fruits in his thesis in the graduate school.  The leaves are rich in tannin and other medicinal compounds. Its bark produces latex and resin.

Because of its thick crown the year round, the tree is a good shade and buffer against noise and dust.  It was in this tree that birds that were not seen for many years suddenly appeared, among them the  kikiaw (kiaw Ilk) or yellow and black oriole thought to have become extinct locally. Migratory birds would find the samat tree a lodging place in their long migration at the onset of winter in the North which marks our Amihan season when cold winds from Siberia sweeps across Asia down to the Pacific. 

Then there were house sparrows that found shelter in the tree's thick crown. And not to be outsmarted was the pandangera or fantail bird. It would complain when disturbed sitting in her nest. And when a cat would get near the tree, the pandagera together with her mate would swoop down and drive the intruder away.   

One time I released a gecko lizard on the tree. It did not stay long, when our parrot started imitating its mating call. Perhaps on discovering the hoax it left for the real call from its own kind in some trees in the La Mesa watershed which is very near us. 

The green tree ants regularly built a nest or two in the tree.  It was good because they controlled other insects, and they are good janitors.  They glean on any food leftovers, and kept the surroundings clean, especially around the doghouse. Houseflies generally don’t thrive on clean environment.  

When the tree fell it took with it the lianas, orchids, ferns clinging of its limbs. So with the lichens and mosses that are natural indicators of good air by their abundance.

You see, the tree is not just a tree.  It is a host.  A host of many organisms depending on it in various categories.  Call it parasitism for feeding caterpillars, symbiosis for epiphytic bromeliads and orchids, commensalism for mosses and  lichens.  Free board and lodging for the seasonal perperoka. Fungi growing on the tree’s dead branch are saprophytes, bees and beetles and butterflies as pollinators.

When new leaves form, photosynthesis gets a boost.  So the tree produces more food, and more oxygen that replenishes the carbon dioxide that we in the animal kingdom expel. And what happens to the “food” accumulated in the tree?  It is further made into complex organic substances – cellulose and lignin in wood which we harvest for construction, crafts and fuels. Tannin for cure of diabetes. Xanthophyll and carotene for vitamins and natural dye, and many more. 

All these attest to the tree’s role more than just a passive standing host.  It is a system in itself, an ecological system or ecosystem in short.

The meaning of this is that when the tree dies the whole system also dies. And the sad thing is that the loss is irreversible.

I mourn for the felled samat tree on behalf of the creatures that benefited from it that have too died, and luckily for others, they have migrated and may have found another benevolent host.          

But the puzzle remains.  Everything was quiet, then came a gust of wind from nowhere.  It sent this ten-year old samat tree crashing across our street.  

Theories are not rare to explain the incident. The most plausible is poor foothold. The tree was virtually sitting on adobe bedrock characteristic of the geology of QC, so that its root system had no other way of spread but sideways instead of downward with a tap root as principal anchor. 

Author displays cured samat leaves used in brewing basi wine and making vinegar.

There is a nearby drainage through which  various wastes flowed - oil, detergents, alkali and acid rain, ultimately finding their way into the root zone and destroying much of the roots. The tree however held on without apparent sign of weakness.  

On the meteorological aspect, thunderstorms have become more frequent, as a consequence of global warming, a phenomenon that is not yet well understood. But global warming is spawning more - and stronger - typhoons, hurricanes, and tornadoes all over the world. Extreme weather is now felt more often. Too much rainfall in one place causes flood, while too little rainfall causes drought in another place. Freak weather disturbances are not unusual, among them was a sudden thunderstorm on that fine day that toppled my favorite samat tree. ~ 

Part 15 -  Bonsai is Nature's Art

Natural bonsai is Nature's art, that has for centuries inspired man to create miniaturized landscapes that fulfill his yearning for a connection to nature.

Dr Abe V Rotor

  

 Manicured bonsai tamarind trees. Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand

When I saw the tamarind bonsai, it flashed into my mind the story of a wise man from the Orient who was asked, "What tree lives the longest?" to which he confidently answered, "The bonsai."

About the same time a scientist from California was asked of the same question. To which he replied with scientific authority, "The Sequoia."

For a long time the world debated about the issue. I found myself a fence sitter in my college days. Until I became a biologist.

Centuries old bonsai trees grace many parks and homes in China, Japan and Korea, the origin of the art of dwarfing plants into what we know today as bonsai. They are of course minuscule to the giant Sequoia or redwoods in western United States which stand twenty to thirty storeys high.

Some of these trees were already bearing cones at the time of Christ. That's more than 2000 years ago. So these trees held the record for a long time. Until...

The record gave way to gnarled dwarf trees, among them the Bristlecone, living on windswept rocky shores in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world where conditions of survival are extremely difficult.

Which brings about the puzzle - what really is the key to longevity?

I examined the tamarind bonsai in Thailand. Why they are pampered with care! By man, under the rule of monarchy.

I read extensively about the redwoods. Why they are pampered by nature! They dominate the ground, space and sky. They are the monarchs of the forest.

And neither gives the convincing answer to the puzzle.

 

It is because the longest living tree, the Bristlecone (PHOTOS), is left all by itself to fend itself against the extreme conditions of the environment.

This strengthened by belief that natural resistance is the key to survival and longevity. It is natural resistance that enables the organism to survive and to live long. And here are the premises.

1. Controlled growth reduces need for food, water, space and nutrients.

2. Metabolism is slowed down when these requirements for growth and development are placed under restrictive control.

3. Extreme conditions "temper" organisms. Tempering is hardening of cells, tissues and organs, basically the protoplasm.

4. Tropisms are likewise honed under extreme conditions. Roots penetrate deeper to reach the source of water. Phototropism encourages the plant to reach out for the sun, chemotropism triggers survival tools such as chemical secretion. Latex and resin are protective substances.

5. On the cell level, slower cell division lengthens life. Fast multiplying cells are shorter lived than slow multiplying ones. Chromosomes get shorter every time the cell multiplies, their telomeres shrink every time the cell divides. This leads to faster senility and early demise of the cell. These premises I believe, hold the key to the so-called "green thumb" in the bonsai expert.

These premises are found in the giant Sequoia, although its size is deceiving. The truth is that the old Sequoia, like the bonsai, has reached virtual dormancy. Any organism in a state of dormancy or torpor undergoes very slow metabolism, which contributes to long life.

  

Beside, the Sequoia (PHOTOS) has other advantages in its natural habitat. It produces resin as a survival tool sealing off its attackers and healing the wound that they inflict. Here too, the Sequoia exhibits natural rejuvenation. It can recover from injuries to a point that a new tree may grow from the trunk and roots of a fallen one, like a tiller arising from its parent. It is natural tissue culture. Which leads us to the question, When does longevity end, when does it start?

I examined the bonsai tamarind trees and made reference to these factors. Well, I estimated their age to be about two centuries or so. Which is confirmed by the history of the Grand Palace. I compared them with the two bonsai tamarind trees at home which have shrunk into two-foot shrubs. An kindly old lady entrusted them under my care fifty years ago. Under natural condition tamarind grows into a very large tree.

This comparison points out that organisms of the same species don't only grow into different sizes in nature - they are actually controlled. More food and they grow fast and big, probably lanky and weak. On the other hand, starved them and they will become dwarf. Hardened and tough, and they live long.

On hind sight, does this hypothesis apply to animals? To humans? If so, then deprivation and exposure to adverse conditions - and not a bountiful life - is the key to long life.

Indeed, longevity is a mystery. ~ 

Part 16 - Trees for Peace 

“Trees give peace to the souls of men.” - Nora Waln

Paintings by Dr Abe V Rotor

Convergence in acrylic by the author 2022

Tree of Liberty in acrylic by the author

"All I need to do is to climb a tree,

   and all the world knows I'm free." avr

“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life.” - Rumi

 

"White doves, emissaries of peace;

         Trees, living monuments of peace." avr

 

 

Somewhere between the valleys and mountains,

caves and cliffs, streams and rivers;

man craves for something beyond his Being,

        in verses and songs - and prayers.  - avr  

  

 

Wonder how birds in the sky see us down,

how minuscule we are, like their kind;

wonder how we look at them in the blue sky,

worlds apart we say yet we are one.  -avr

 “The bird who dares to fall is the bird who learns to fly.” - D. W. Journals ~

Part 17 

 Do you believe in tree spirit?

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog (avrotor.blogspot.com) 

Also open Naturalism -the Eighth Sense

 Children playing at the edge of a forest in acrylic by the author

Call the kapre, dwende, tikbalang

    to scare or just for fun;

call goddess Maria Makiling,

    and Helios, the sun;

Imagine the world without them

    - without them around.

Children wouldn't be home before dark;

and dogs at night wouldn't bark.

why sunflowers always face the sun,

and go to sleep when gone,

trespasser, beware, take the road instead,

else on some spirit you might tread;

over the hills and valleys thunder rolls

when angry Thor growls;

and mushroom spontaneously appear

breaking the ground like spear;

phosphorescence fascinates us, 

after the fire has gone into ash;

look up they're but one - fireflies and stars,

fireflies are the missing stars;

holiest is the altar of nature unspoiled,

where logging was foiled,

where the kapre lives in big trees,

and scares with a sudden breeze;

paddies sigh, bamboos creak and whisper,

unseen - creatures or not - slither.

The world is alive with tales and legends;

    untrue yet true, for they are a twin;

and if you pass by a tree, stop and listen

    to the spirit that throbs within. ~

 

Children Camping by a Forest Stream in acrylic by the author 

Part 18 -  Nativity in the Forest

Dr Abe V Rotor

Nativity Scene, Christmas 2012. Forest mural by the author, 2010

Creatures in the forest welcome a holy guest: 

     the wild and tough wake up to a stirring,

the feathered and furred, the mimicked and camouflaged,

     follow a beam of light in a clearing. 

It is an altar hemmed by a cathedral of giant trees,

     curtained by the living art of the vine;

and marked by emergent towers, the home of the eagle

     that proclaims the birth of a child divine.

Woodsmen there who live in communities ever since, 

     join their children sing the songs of the trees,

fiddling crickets and hooting owls and playful primates,

     the wind tamed into the whisper of the breeze.

Here the sun is sieved into moving shadows and art,

     the rains nourish life from ground to the sky,

epiphytes of liana and orchid in grandiose bloom,

     shower the newly born, birds singing up high.

How benevolent the wild, how humble the creatures,

     how simple the scene created by nature;

here beauty is simple, unspoiled by civilization,

     it offers comfort and refuge and nurture. 

              

Unconventional the forest seems the bastion of faith 

    for those seeking life's meaning here and far,

for lack of a manger for the spirit of modern man,

    to find here a Child and protect the green altar. ~

Part 19 - Towering Anahaw Palm Trees 

Living with Nature Center

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Dr Abe V Rotor

Rising up to more than fifty feet through the canopy of nearby trees, and into the sky as emergents, these heritage palm trees are a living treasure of the arboretum of the Living with Nature Center. Their trunks are virtually perfect Parthenon columns of nature, the leaves shaped into a huge umbrella. Old leaves remain hanging in the crown drooping like a well-knit skirt, which serves as abode of fruit bats, their sleeping quarters in the day, and working station at night, indeed an ideal home for these unique nocturnal residents of the local ecosystem.

  

  

Anahaw (Livistona rotundifolia or Saribus rotundifolia) is regarded as the Philippine national leaf. Anahaw leaves are also a widespread symbol in the Philippines that is often used in awards and medals to represent high achievement, strength, and loyalty. The Anahaw leaf features a large, round outline and is glossy green in color. Livistona is used as  natural parasol in Malaysia. In Australia.* The young nuts, the size of marble, are picked and eaten in their soft stage.  The rind is trimmed with knife, the inner membrane peeled by hand, and the white soft core finds its way to the palate one after another. It was a popular snack in our time as kids when anahaw abound on the upland and forested areas. Today, Livistona is a threatened species; in fact endangered in many populated areas even on the countryside. 

 

Radially arranged leaves of anahaw are made into shingles for roof thatch, superior in coolness, beauty and durability to the traditional nipa (Nipa frutescens) and cogon (Imperata cyclindrica). In my time, in pre-plastic era, the whole leaf was crafted into free-hanging raincoat (annanga Ilk), an indigenous wear on the farm, and in going to school and market as protection from monsoon rain.  It was worn with woven hats made of the same material, or from leaves of coconut, pandan (Pandanus tectorius) or buri (Corypha elata). Imagine how the outfit looked like, complete with wooden clogs (bakya* or suekos Ilk), and abel shirt and short pants (puruntong) made from cotton.  

* Internet. The Bakyâ or wooden clogs were once the most commonly used footwear in the Philippines before the introduction of rubber sandals.

 Part 20 - The Tree that Wears a Veil 

                                     Verse and Photos by Dr Abe V Rotor

A veil to shield the sun,

A veil to keep from rain,

A veil to buffer the wind,

A veil to hide the view around,

A veil to muffle sweet sound.

When you wear your crown.

A veil to let the sunshine in,

A veil to welcome the rain,

A veil to dance in the wind,

A veil to view far beyond,

A veil to free those in bond,

When you lose your crown.

A veil to clothe the naked,

A veil to comfort the lonely,

A veil to feed the hungry,

A veil to house the lost.

A veil to welcome the dawn,

When you gain back your crown.

NOTE: These photos were taken at a time when this acacia tree was in its deciduous stage giving the epiphytic liana a chance to grow luxuriantly without harming the host tree. Soon new leaves will form as summer approaches, and the liana once more becomes dormant. It will resume vigorous growth come next deciduous period. Acacia trees shed off their leaves completely once or twice a year. Ateneo de Manila University QC campus.

Part 21 -   Lost Forest

                    Dr Abe V Rotor

Table model of a "Lost Forest" from termite nest, by the author

A staccato of chirping meets the breeze and sunrise,
Rushes the stream where fish play with the sunbeam,

Waking the butterflies, unveiled by the rising mist;
And the rainforest becomes a stage one can't miss.

     John Milton wrote his masterpiece of Paradise,

     Ludwig Beethoven composed minuet at sunrise;

     Jean Fabre and Edwin Teale with lens to see,

     Discovered an inner world Jules Verne did agree, 

     And Aldo Leopold's world in unity and harmony.

That was long time ago, now it's a race for progress,

Taking the streets, marching uphill up to the forest - 

There giant machines roar, ugly men at the helm;

Folly, ignorance and greed are one and same.

Reference:  Sunshine on Raindrops 

Copyright 2000 Abercio V Rotor and Megabooks Company

Part 22 -  Driftwood Strange Creatures

- Emissaries of Ecological Destruction

An artist's view of creatures sculptured by Nature on driftwood*. The message is clear with the unabated and wanton destruction of our environment in the hands of man.   

Dr Abe V Rotor

It is a rare kind of hunt - looking for the likeness of living creatures in deadwood in logged areas.  Driftwood is the remain of trees likened to the skeleton of animals and humans. The haunting feeling of this experience runs through the artistic mind leading to the psyche and ultimately, collective consciousness.  

   

Have you seen a black dove in real life? 

Remember Noah's Ark? 

 

Transition of the dinosaur Archaeopteryx to 

birds and fowls leaves behind a fossil - or 

creates an imagery in the artist's mind.

 

 

 The legendary and biblical dragon is virtually alive, 
venerable in our postmodern art and culture -
 a perfect model of reality and fantasy combined.

 

Like the dragon this serpent has found a secured place in the 

minds of children in cartoons and virtual reality in fantasy 

land and on TV screen - a friend, an outcast, a villain.

           

Driftwood Eye

 Begging for a rightful place and peace,

this creature tells a tragic story

of man's cruelty, greed and folly,

its eye watching us never at ease.  ~

          

 Sacred Tree Relic 

 

Relics - imprimatur of holiness, venerated by the faithful; 

     fossils - museums' treasures, science's glory;

Wouldn't the remains of a once magnificent tree sacred, too, 

     to stand sentry of a forest lost in our memory?

Made of driftwood mounted on coral rock, red base symbolic of fatal destruction of our environment and its consequences. On display at the Living with Nature Center, San Vicente Ilocos Sur. ~

* Enhanced sculptural pieces and mural background by the author.

Part 23 -  Trees on the Campus

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."

- William Shakespeare

Dr Abe V Rotor

University of Santo Tomas, Manila

Living cradle to while away the time,

to catch up with many a lost sleep;

watch out, a nap gone over the clime,

where time and opportunity slip.

Ateneo de Manila University, QC

Pendants you wear in the night,

blinking with the chilly air,

bring tidings beyond your shade,

to far places poor and fair.

Central Luzon State University, Muñoz, NE

When in bloom golden, only for a day or two;

confetti follows where the bees have gone,

in every flower is born a new life, the embryo,

seed to a tree in another place in the sun.

Drynaria fern on acacia tree.  Saint Agustine's School. 

Tagudin, Ilocos Sur

Drynaria fern makes a natural cover

in summer when the tree lays bare. 

It's like a new crown in the making.

Behold! the symbiosis of sharing.  

      Part 24 - I talk to the trees - and they listen to me.

"When in bloom golden, only for a day or two;
confetti follows where the bees have gone,
in every flower is born a new life
in another place and time."

Dr Abe V Rotor

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Re-encarnation - this elephant tree had been
once roaming around in band;
threatened, endangered and gone,
what would it become the next time around?

Tagbilaran, Bohol

Saplings race to meet the sun,
lanky to posts they shall become;
sans branches but bole and round
soon fall to the ax one by one.

Mt Makiling, Laguna

You bear the hardest wood -
ebony in deep shiny black;
your foes no less my kind
feeling and love we lack.


Tierra Pura, Tandang Sora, QC

Sunrise, sunset, the ground is alive,
lilting children under your care
that make up for your loneliness
in a world with so little to share.

Masinloc, Zambales

You were once doomed by the wind,
but benevolence saved you;
by your fruits and resting limbs,
sanctuary and playground, too.


Mt Makiling, UPLB Laguna

Black and white makes you bold and real
of your strangler's reputation,
climbing on your host tree to the sky,
a piece of mystery of creation.

Burgos, La Union

Tree house I see built on your limbs
has stolen your view on the scene,
the breeze in your leaves hushed away,
a living monument unseen.

 
Cebu City

Embroidered leaves by the bagworm,
turning to crimson and fall;
mutual indeed is host and tenant,
nature and creatures all.

Lagro QC

Whoever felled this old balete tree,
drove the deities away;
and the spirit of the tree shall not rest,
no prayer can repay.

UST Manila

Shadow of death I see across the lawn,
save the sun all mourning;
haunting the playground empty and quiet,
save a dead tree walking.

 
Ateneo de Manila University QC

To the conscious passerby,
in the morning holy,
in the evening scary,
a veil to laugh or to cry.

St Paul University QC

Young devil tree, but you aren't;
your eyes but holes to your heart;
your arm raised to praise, to call
a friend, such is nature's art.

Agoo, La Union

Over laden, if all these fruits,
a burst of a lifetime -
young to die like a mother
cut in her prime.

UST Manila

Living cradle to while away the time,
to catch up with many a lost sleep;
watch out, a nap gone over the clime,
where time and opportunity slip.

Ateneo de Manila University QC

Pendants you wear in the night,
blinking with the chilly air,
bring tidings beyond your shade,
to far places poor and fair.

St Paul University QC

When in bloom golden, only for a day or two;
confetti follows where the bees have gone,
in every flower is born a new life, the embryo,
seed to a tree in another place and time. ~

Part 25 -

 Put Life into a Dying Tree

A Lesson on Ecology Through Art

Dr Abe V Rotor

AUTHOR’S NOTE: As a background to this article, I was requested by the National Council of Educational Innovators (NCEI) to conduct a teaching demonstration whereby art, specifically drawing/ painting and music, is integrated with the teaching of ecology before the first International Congress of Educators in Manila. Recently I presented the original approach before teachers in a Faculty Development Workshop.

Allow me to start with a simple drawing exercise. The exercise is about a dying tree. I invite everyone to complete the scenario, using the attached outline of a tree skeleton. The idea is to bring back the life of the tree, hence, the title of this exercise. This exercise introduces us to understand the basic nature of living things, and the essence of ecology as a subject.

As a guide let us imagine that solar energy is transformed by plants into chemical energy, which is then shared by different organisms. In nature, organisms interact with each other on one hand, and with their environment on the other. Scientists say, this interrelationship comes so naturally that there is in fact no need of human intervention. On the other hand, it is of the general opinion that man is the custodian of creation. If this is so what is its role? How can he help maintain the so-called “balance on nature called homeostasis?”

How much are we aware of this role? We will know it by evaluating the drawing once it is finished using ten (10) criteria scored on the Likert scale (5 is very good, 4 good, 3 fair, 2 poor and 1 very poor). But I suggest that the criteria should be read only after the drawing has been done. It is an individual work that takes around ten minutes.

These are the criteria.

1. There is the sun in the drawing. The sun is the source of life, the source of energy- solar energy- where is then transformed into chemical energy.

2. There is water – clouds, rain stream, river, pond, lake, etc illustrating the Water Cycle. The importance of water as an element of life is next to the sun.

3. The tree is has leaves, branches, flowers and fruits. The tree is not only a living thing; it is a tree of life, the source of food and oxygen, and other things, aesthetic beauty, notwithstanding.

4. There are other trees, including those of its kind. There are other plants as well. This illustrates the concept of a family and a community.

5. There are animals and other living creatures. This shows relationships such as mutualism or symbiosis, commensalism (e.g. a bird’s nest, ferns and orchids on the tree), and competition (e.g. insects feeding). Certain relationships may be interpreted on a philosophical level such as benevolence, unity, cooperation and altruism.

6. The tree, as well as other members of the community, is part of the landscape. The drawing has a perspective of a larger whole; it is an integral part of Nature represented by mountains, valleys, pasture, rivers, fields, etc.

7. The presence of man is important. The drawing may show a happy family, children playing, man taking care of the tree, or his presence manifested by a drawing of a house or community.

8. The drawing shows life. It is natural; it exudes a feeling of reality. The colors are real, so with the subjects. I call this aspect naturalism.

9. The drawing has good artistic quality. Is the drawing appealing? Does it conform to a good sense of balance, harmony, contrast, and perspective?

10. Maximum use of space. This refers to the whole world of the tree. It is the total “view from the window”, the vantage point the participant views his subject and the world. Did the participant use the space wisely? There is no wasteland, so to speak.

The scores of the ten criteria are added. To get the average score, divide the total with 10. A score of, say 3.6 to 4.4 is Good, while 2.5 to 3.4 is fair. College QC is 3.3, or Fair.

I have noticed that high school students and freshmen in college who participated in this exercise did not get high scores. They have limited exposure to the subject. But this is a good exercise to develop the power of imagination and logical thinking. In a number of cases the drawing shows the influence of cartoons, animae and advertisements. This exercise follows a deductive-retrospective approach, which fits well with the use of art medium.

During the 10-minute exercise I usually provide a background music by playing the violin with popular, native and semi-classical compositions which the accompaniment of re-recorded Nature sounds (e.g. birds singing and running stream). To facilitate the work, I prepared an hour long extemporaneous CD, “Violin and Nature,” which is easier to carry with me on out-of town lectures, otherwise I resort to play the original compositions of the following well-known composers.

· “Hating Gabi” by Antonio molina
· “Maalaala Mo Kaya” by Mike Velarde
· “Meditation,” from the Thais by Massenet
· “ Serenade” by Tosselli
· “ On Wing of song” by Felix Mendelson

What contributions have the arts to the effective teaching of science? I consider the following premises important.

1. Fuller use of the senses. Art provides other than visual and auditory, an opportunity to use touch and smell, say on the specimens during hands-on and field observation.

2. Amalgamation of knowledge and imagination, a concept of learning where facts and experiences rise to a level of thought or theory level, yet sets the boundaries of fantasy. Art provides a better means of expression of the imagination.

3. Search for Formula-Values relationship. I call this concept “ valueing”, that is, answering the question, “For what purpose?” on a higher plane over material or physical. Art discusses Renaissance, the revival of culture and values. Art talks of harmony and unity. Can science adopt art in creating subject appeal?

4. Left brain-right brain tandem. Logical and creative integration is important, the left brains thinks and reasons, while the right brain images, creates.

5. Mind-Feeling Duo (Head-Heart). “Science is reason, art is emotion.” It is true. Art appeals to the emotion. One must “feel” a work of art such as the climax of a story, the color of sunset, the graceful movement of a ballet dancer, or Rodin’s melting human figures symbolizing suffering.

6. Skill is applied knowledge and art is basically skill. Studying art is merely the pathway to its application. Art is an excellent medium of applied science.

After evaluating the exercise, “Put life in a dying tree,” we can try similar exercises in biology and ecology, other disciplines notwithstanding. These were selected from a manual in three volumes which I use in conducting Art Workshop for Children.

1. Green Valley - this shows the structure of a watershed in relation to a valley. Hoe can one efficiently keep the valley green and productive? How good are we as mangers of the environment?

2. Waterfalls - the river drops and continues down below the fall, so is life. Hoe wide, how high, is our own waterfall? It is a good lesson in analogy and resolve - the ecology of our life.

3. Let’s build a house - but where are the neighbors? A lesson of human ecology, the concept of community.

4. Make this dog happy - this exercise a sharpens our values of kindness and concern. Ecology has a heart.

5. Road of Life - by tracing our own road of life, we known what we want in life, where we are going and how we get there. Here we plot our future. The human side of ecology is apparent in this exercise.

The criteria for scoring these exercises can be devised by the teacher or resource person, using the first exercise as a general guide. For specific purposes he can emphasize on certain aspects he deems necessary to arrive at his objectives. The idea why I am presenting these exercises is that a teacher can prepare similar exercises whereby art can be integrated with the subject of science, and “valueing” is incorporated in the lesson.

But first, let us put life in a dying tree. ~

Part 26 - Dita, the tallest tree in Manila

A living sentry that reminds us, "Only God can make a tree."

  

It is home of insects and reptiles, foothold of orchids, ferns and lianas, abode of birds that celebrate life with their young and beautiful songs.  

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Dita (Alstonia scholaris) the biggest member of the Apocynaceae

 family stands overlooking the sprawling UST campus and its environs,

Older than most structures except the main building, it rises with the tower cross, sharing the lofty height  from afar, on the front and back.  

Scarred by war and by fire it is a veteran of events in history, witness to the university's many activities and celebrations, . 

While graduates pass through the Arch of the Centuries, this tree stands firm and proud; it is a sentry, a guardian, and a symbol, too.  

Its crown is the biggest umbrella on the campus, filtering the sun, the dust and rain; it captures carbon and gives off oxygen in turn.   

It captures the fog into morning mist, and makes a rainbow with the showers, and cushions the sun set into gentle breeze and subdued gray.   

It does not respond to autumn even if other trees lose their leaves and gain a new crown; instead it retains its canopy green. 

It is home of insects and reptiles, foothold of orchids, ferns and lianas, abode of birds that celebrate life with their young and beautiful songs.   

And when it is winter in cold countries, it is time for its pods to mature, popping out myriads of tiny lints like parachutes that float in the air. 

And children run after them like snowflakes, and wish like wishing upon a star -  and strangely lints daintily fall into their palms.  

The dita wakes up earlier than anyone else on the campus, sings with the carillon, and joins the whispers and laughter on the campus.

The day ends just like any day, the campus sleeps - and there stands a silhouette that reminds us, "Only God can make a tree." ~   

Part 27 -  Symbiosis of Drynaria Fern and Acacia Tree - More than Commensalism

I like Drynaria, for caring its host and vice versa through symbiosis - a perfect bond that humans have yet to learn someday.

Dr Abe V Rotor

 Living with Nature - School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com]

Drynaria fern covers the limbs of an acacia tree. Tagudin, Ilocos Sur

I like the Drynaria 

I like Drynaria for her feathery foliage in the distance like the proud peacock and the turkey trotting to win favors of their flock;

I like Drynaria for her sturdiness in the wind, cooling the summer air and keeping the coolness of the Amihan in December;

I like Drynaria for her resiliency, bending with the limbs and branches, turning upside down and up again the next season;

I like Drynaria for sleeping through the dry months while her host takes the show, verdant green, robust and free;

I like Drynaria for resurrecting from a state of turpor, as if she defies death and perpetuates life while others simply die;

I like Drynaria for her economy in sustenance, living on captured dirt and rain, yet discreet of such austere living;

I like Drynaria for touching the clouds with her host taming it to fall as rain and shared by all creatures around;

I like Drynaria for her ability to multiply fast through invisible spores, in one sweep of the wind are sown in far places;

I like Drynaria for its benevolence to many creatures, tenant and transient, keeping their brood in her bosom;

I like Drynaria giving the martines birds a home, where it sings in joy and praise and thanksgiving for a beautiful world;

I like Drynaria for keeping company to passersby, to tired souls in the shadow with her host, in dark and unlikely hours;

I like Drynaria for giving off oxygen and taking in carbon that poisons the earth and living things, among them no less than I;

I like Drynaria, for caring its host and vice versa through symbiosis - a perfect bond that humans have yet to learn someday. ~

Martines birds, long thought to be extinct locally, find shelter and home with the Drynaria, and the host acacia tree.

   Part 28 - Mythical Forest 

“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”
― Chris Maser, Forest Primeval: The Natural History of an Ancient Forest

Painting and Verse by Dr Abe V Rotor 

Mythical Forest in acrylic by the author, 2022

She saw only the trees, not the forest;

    spots of red, not the loving pair,

flowers, orchids, fluttering butterflies,

    and the peeping sunset but a glare.

Thus we see ourselves more than others,

    Narcisian* syndrome we've fallen,

leaving but Echo reverberating and dying;

    the forest, the lake all forsaken.

*In Greek mythology proud Narcissus fell into the lake and died 

leaving Echo whose love for him was unrequited.

Part 29 - Queer Looking Trees from Another World

Photos and Poem by Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature School on Blog

Balete (Ficus benjamina) strangles own host (acacia - 
Samanea saman), hence called Strangler's Fig, UST Manila

I love trees friendly or queer,

they whistle with the breeze;

they sigh in summer air,

and make me feel at ease.

I love trees real or fancy,

tall, small, and spreading;

lining the shore, or foothill,

atop a mountain like king.

I love trees in all seasons,

even with their grotesque crown;

buds in spring fullest in summer;

and in autumn red and brown.

I love trees, their make-believe faces,

dare to imagine in the evening,

the legendary white lady;

or beauteous Maria Makiling.

I love trees they are like people,

senses, language of their own

are universal to all creatures,

even before man was born.

I love trees because I see myself

in them today as it was before;

and if i think trees are really queer,

I think I should love them more. ~

Ghost singers under a huge banyan tree, Sacred Heart Novitiate, QC (Photo taken after a wedding reception, unedited photo.) 

Ichabod Crane Tree, SPUQC (Fiction character in a 
short story  of the same title by Washington Irving)

Young devil tree, but you aren't;

your eyes but holes to your heart;

your arm raised to praise, to call

a friend, such is nature's art.

Who is knocking on my window sill? (kalachuchi - 
Plumera acuminata), Sacred Heart Novitiate, QC

Tree casts its own shadow of death before its early 
demise following Ondoy flood in 2010 , UST Manila

Python Tree, an overhanging limb of acacia covered
 with epiphytes, Ateneo de Manila University, QC

Haunting Fig Tree (Gmelina), Church of the Ascension Parish Church, Lagro QC. Its broad prop roots produce a dull gong sound when struck.  

Leaning Pisa tree (Fire tree - Delonix regia) leans 45 degrees 
over busy Regalado Avenue, QC. NOTE: the tree was cut down 
to clear power lines, and eliminate possible accident.

 Bearded Eucalyptus Tree, Angels' Hill, Tagaytay City. Clinging moss is actually lichens of the fruticose or hanging type.

 

Lagro QC

Whoever felled this old balete tree,

drove the deities away; 

and the spirit of the tree shall not rest,

no prayer can repay.

Mt Makiling, Laguna 

You bear the hardest wood -
ebony in deep shiny black;
your foes no less my kind
feeling and love we lack.

Tierra Pura, Tandang Sora, QC

Sunrise, sunset, the ground is alive,

lilting children under your care 

that make up for your loneliness 

in a world with so little to share. 

Masinloc, Zambales

You were once doomed by the wind,

but benevolence saved you;

by your fruits and resting limbs,

sanctuary and playground, too.  

Mt Makiling, UPLB Laguna 

Black and white makes you bold and real

of your strangler's reputation,

climbing on your host tree to the sky,

a piece of mystery of creation.

    

Burgos, La Union 

Tree house I see built on your limbs

has stolen your view on the scene, 

the breeze in your leaves hushed away,  

a living monument unseen. 

 

Cebu City

Embroidered leaves by the bagworm,

turning to crimson and fall;

mutual indeed is host and tenant,

nature and creatures all. 

Elephant Tree, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 

Re-incarnation - this elephant tree had been

once roaming around in band;

threatened, endangered and gone, 

what would it become the next time around? 

UST Manila 

Shadow of death I see across the lawn,

save the sun all mourning;

haunting the playground empty and quiet,

save a dead tree walking. 

     

Ateneo de Manila University QC

To the conscious passerby,

in the morning holy, 

in the evening scary, 

a veil to laugh or to cry.  

Tagbilaran, Bohol

Saplings race to meet the sun,

lanky to posts they shall become;

sans branches but bole and round

soon fall to the ax one by one.   

Agoo, La Union 

Over laden, if all these fruits,

a burst of a lifetime -

young to die like a mother 

cut in her prime.  

UST Manila 
Living cradle to while away the time,
to catch up with many a lost sleep;
watch out, a nap gone over the clime,
 where time and opportunity slip. 

AdMU QC

Pendants you wear in the night, 
blinking with the chilly air,
bring tidings beyond your shade,
to far places poor and fair. 

When in bloom golden, only for a day or two;

confetti follows where the bees have gone, 

in every flower is born a new life, the embryo,

seed to a tree in another place and time.   ~
 

Part 30 -

Where have all the native fruits gone?

Dr Abe V Rotor

    

                                    Macopa (Eugenia jambalana), Family Myrtaceae

 

Where have all the native guava gone,

the bats and birds and the young one?

Where have all the sweet nangka gone,

its fruits buried under the ground?

Where have all the old piña gone,

on the upland, sweetened by the sun?

Where have all the red papaya gone,

solo by name, the only tree of a kind?

Where have all the pomegranate gone,

friendly though like the deadly one.

Where have all the pako mango gone,

to cook the finest sinigang?

Where have all the big pomelo gone,

its rind made into jelly and jam?

Where have all the red macopa gone,

the laughing children in its arm?

Where have all the native santol gone,

set aside for a large-seeded one?

Where have all the tall mabolo gone,

sapote and caimito that ripe into tan?

Gone to the genie everyone,

technology’s child becoming man. ~

   

Siniguelas (Spondias purpurea); tiesa (Lucuma nervosa),

  

Atis (Anona squamosa)uava (Psidium guajava); 

native sampaloc (Tamarindus indica)

      

    Native papaya (Carica papaya); Bignay (Antidesma tenuis)

Top left, clockwise: Native saba variety (Musa paradisiaca); 

avocado (Persia americana); camachile (Pithecocobium dulce); 

sineguelas (Spondias purpurea); and duhat or lomboy Ilk 

(Eugenia jambalana) 

             

                             Black sapote (Diospyrus nigra), Family Ebenaceae

                                      

 

Pomegranate (Punica granatum), family Lythraceae; 

camachile (Pithecollobium dulce) Family Leguminusae.

             

Mabolo (Diospyurus blancoi), Family Ebenaceae ~