Citizens of Emerald Kingdom; Trees
Silent watchers of the world, trees has a lot to say if you know how to listen them… They were here before us and now we are trying to kick them out from this world with all our acts… And we all are guilty with our ignorance…
Ancient people had sheltered in the bodies of big trees… The branches reaching the sky let the people assumed the trees were the pillars of the world that carries the sky… Trees had been attributed by many legends… They were the source of life, guardians of nature and nest for the weak who seeks protection…
Even today, you can see “wishing trees” in Anatolia… People they believe that old trees has a special energies that can help… They are standing alone while the branches are covered with tied, colorful ribbons that dancing in the winds… Whoever seeks hope, travel near to that tree, ask tree to be the envoy for his/hers wish to God…
Though trees have tried to help us through the history, we proved that we are the worst partners… Instead of living in a green, we preferred grey of concrete… What changed? I do not know but our ancestors were good with them all the time… Ancient Turks were cover the mouth of axes with leather because they believed that young tweaks may see the sharp edges of the axes and scared that let them produce poison that rotten them from inside… I hope we will see that extremely kind habits again in our 21. Century… The era of technology and death of nature…
Because of us, today, many tree species are endanger and more of them reaching the shore of extinction as many of their relatives already extinct… Today, some of the remaining endemic trees of Turkey are:
Kaz dağı göknarı – (Kazdagi Fir) Abies nordmanniana subsp. equi-trojani
Sığla ağacı – sweetgum – Liquidambar orientalis
Istranca meşesi – Istiranca Oak – Quercus hartwissiana
Datça hurması – Datca Palm – Phoenix theophrasti
Kasnak meşesi – Hoop Oak – Quercus vulcanica