Climbing and planting Trees. LARKING ABOUT. Conversations UpTrees. Philosophy. Politics. The Environment. Re-imagine the world. Inspire US to action. This is uptrees… (rehabrd and 444trees)
It all started out as a whim. “I’m going to climb one tree every day for a year”. The whim took over.
This site is the hub for UpTrees but also a window to offshoot projects, – for info on RehabRd and 444Trees please follow the links above.
So… I’ve travelled through 10 countries climbing trees, climbed with 43 others in one tree, interviewed a belly dancer, actors in character, a class of 9-year-old children, a friend of mine who needed and then got a heart transplant, an ex drug smuggler, founder of the Transition Towns movement, the inventor of TEQs, professors, artists, musicians, carpenters… and the list goes on. Over 80 conversations with inspired people and more than 365 trees including the famous Christmas tree they gave to London for Trafalgar square. (who the students set fire to under the anti student fee demo’s of which I have mixed feelings, setting fire to the tree that is).
It ended with a ‘Family Tree’ and a forest exhibition at the Maihaugen outdoor museum in Lillehammer, Norway on May 16th 2011!
the Family Tree. Lillehammer, Norway.
This blog is a work in progress and window into what the book will become. The entries are being typed up and filled in bit by bit. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do… nearly 9 months of material to transcribe and edit. 24 hours of conversations in trees and thousands of images. It’s a rough note book for something to print, so please be patient with typos and gaps and holes and flaws.
It has been brilliant. Mostly. I’ve met loads of excellent people. Made a few people smile, frown and raise eyebrows, and now have the material for a really unusual and unique book thanks to everyone who got involved!
I’m interested in sustainability, what it is that connects us all, and living well… living better, and us citizens taking part in these changes. Time is against us and so it seems are government and corporations, – sometimes.
‘If you’re not doing something about something you’re wasting your time’. Arrogant, small minded or true?
I’d love to hear your comments, wisdom, knowledge, suggestions and maybe climb with you… and maybe it will go in the book.
Uptrees officially ended on the 16th of May 2011 however it is still alive and the offshoot projects are nearly ready sprout.
RehabRd - re-imagining the cities
planting 444 trees - and one in each Nation
If I’ve met you on my travels UP TREES, or you are just interested please send me an email to uptrees ( at ) gauntlettandson.com.
or…
Here’s the FACEBOOK group for UpTrees – sign up and I’ll let you know when there’s news.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=145829695430016
or
write a comment on the blog… or all three…
A little something about me:
Who he? Henrik G Dahle is be:
Writer, artist, director of theatre and film, anxty environmentalist and social engineer, with a smile, grimace and frown. (yes I am engineering you).
I’m going to write this thing in the first person until I get an agent who can write it for me which will make me sound much more important. So… I’ve been pulling, drawing, and imagining the cart with and without a horse since leaving school… Always on the case with a project, worrying about ideas, rewriting scripts, lugging art to galleries, scrawling poems on tiny pieces of paper, planning to take over the world, staring at my computer screen, editing digital images and making stories with them, thanking and apologising to actors for their performances, whistling down the street, filling suitcases with smoke, travelling to Norway for the other half of my life, irritating people and making them laugh. This is beginning to sound like a Guardian Soulmates add.
The natural world and the amazing things we can achieve is without a doubt on the top of my list of priorities along with ______ ____ ________ ___ and ______.
What else can I tell you? I’m not sure if I’m out of my mind or if my head is bolted, welded, nailed, glued and screwed on. Like when I lived in a garage… (I converted it quite nicely however…) On one morning I’d wake up and think… ‘this is great – the bohemian dream’… the next morning… I was living in a garage. Life would be a lot easier if I just got a normal job and settled down. Right? What’s all this climbing trees got to do with anything? What the ______ am I doing!?
Some tree climbing advice / thoughts / obvious thoughts…
Take your time.
Trees are amazing and beautiful beings and when you’re in them – if you get comfortable it’s easy to forget you’re in a tree with just a few perches between you and the ground.
Check each branch is alive by looking down it. Make sure it has leaves on (summer time). Winter – kick it gently – feel it’s resistance, it’s density, it’s bounce – like sonar.
Make sure you think you can get down. What goes up …
Always have a hand, elbow or knee hooked round something unless you’re really confident you can let go like keeping your hand on the wheel in a car (in really big trees for instance).
Remember – you were a monkey – all of this is in you! You can do it.
Rest assured Henrik – your head +is+ screwed firmly on. There’s nothing like climbing a tree to get a real perspective on your position in the world.
Mind you, this is coming from someone who has spent much of the last 5 years building houses out of mud. So take it with a pinch of salt…
Consider yourself invited to come and climb a tree in Northern Spain (and have a place to stay while doing it) anytime you like.
Wow. Thanks for that offer.. I’d certainly like to take you up on that! And your mud houses – are there any huts you built on line?
Is it possible to build a mud hut online? I’m thinking of Tron. (the movie).
Anyway yes. Are you talking about Cobbing or something like that?
Haven’t seen Tron – well, except for the original one, back in the 70s/early 80s was it? I remember I thought it was really fabulous, that was how the future was going to be. These days I’m trying to connect more to the web of life than the World Wide Web… But take a look at abrazohouse.org – we’re building mostly with straw bale / cob.
Drop me a line!
PS. Re: the getting down issue. Um, ever consider taking a rope and climbing harness with you – or would that be considered cheating?
Thank you for climbing our beech tree at the Ravens. Hope to be able to send pictures soon via email. A few interesting shots of the event. Hope your photo study of planter were successful. Lovely seeing you. Short but sweet. Like a tree planted by the water, etc. Love Snowy.
Was swell… the photos from the Beech were amazing. Will post them up asap and let you know!
Merry Christmas… Yes.
Henrik, sounds like another hair brained yet well thought out and thoroughly worthy scheme that you have embarked upon here.
I wish you all the best with it and look forward to purchasing the forthcoming book.
Happy Christmas ………which tree will you be climbing on Xmas day?
I’m currently living in Mexico……alot of cactus here….not so good for climbing unfortunately!!!
Regards, Guy Rounce
Nice to hear from you Guy… Long time no see…
It’s hair brained and not that well thought out… but it’s beginning to take shape.
Look forward to catching up one of these days!
Climb a tree for me over there. I’m sure you can find one. Send me the evidence…!
And good question… The Christmas day tree. Probably try and get up a tree in the graveyard where my grandmother is buried. Might have gone to church with her if she was still round these parts.
A story for you.
A few Christmases ago we had a party for lots of family and friends. An actress friend dressed up as a fairy and sat in the fork of rowan in the front garden, from where she could see the Christmas tree inside the house. The kids had the job of getting her inside, inventing games to play that would shrink her, so she could get on top of the Christmas tree. Which of course, ‘she’ did eventually.
I hope this Christmas you are warm, well and happy.
Anna
Nice story Anna… What kind of shrinking games did they play?
As for me… Christmas – all good. In Norway. Warm when indoors.
HOpe you’re good and thanks for the story. Yes!
Henrick!
You legend! I’m loving your tree climbing project! Inspired!
I’m doing a professional tree climbing course at the end of the month.
Are you coming to Cornwall on your travels? I’d love to climb with you if you are.
You can always stay with us in our cottage in St Day.
Old Gordon Avenue love.
Mic and family x
Nice one Mic,
Good to hear from you! A tree climbing course ey… I spent an afternoon with a brilliant guy who showed me how to use ropes in the trees etc. An inspired tree surgeon. That post is come but I’m a bit behind with it all… Otherwise. Yes! Would be great to meet up a tree indeed. I’ll let you know when I manage to get down that way! Look forward to catching up! Let me know about your course though. If it’s good post something about it here. Take some pictures… Anyway! Until the hour.
Henrik – How very eggocentric ! Have not heard from you since ‘we’ all levitated Wesminster ! Ah the good ole days of the 20th century-freedom,caravans and the wide open world of a non-consturcted reality. Glad to hear you are alive and well into the 21st century. Live, love & laugh in solidarity -M.ib
good to see you’re still bark’ing mad (in a good way)
mark
Is that mr. Warner?
Howdy?