Tree Museum

NYC's Bryant Park trees, near The Pond

"They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot."

--From "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell

My two older kids and I made the most of the last days of their winter break by taking a short trip to New York City this weekend. It was cold but sunny, and the walks we took sandwiched between our morning museum-going and evening theatre events gave us great views of urban trees. Although I find it a little sad to see trees in their little metal enclosures surrounded by pavement, urban trees seem to survive nonetheless to offer soaring counterpoints to the surrounding skyscrapers.

Bryant Park trees, behind the New York Public Library

Origami-ornament tree at the Museum of Natural History

After reading about the Museum of Natural History's Christmas tree on Folding Trees (and decorating our own tree all in origami), I had to see this celebration of the art of origami in person. All of the ornaments for the tree are made of folded paper and highlight the museum's diverse collections. Herds of horses, swarms of butterflies, all manner of dinosaurs, and a collection of African masks decorate the tree. Hung from a rotating ring around the top of the tree, glittery stars create a dynamic and magical halo around the tree.

After spending six hours at the museum, we took a rejuvenating winter walk through Central Park. The park feels a little bit like Joni Mitchell's "tree museum," but what a peaceful oasis the park is in the midst of Manhattan's concrete and noise. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1857, the park seems like a completely natural environment but is in fact a wholly man-made landscape. The site was originally several villages, and the largely working class African American and immigrant residents were forced from their homes to make room for the park. The dirt of the original site was hauled away and fetile soil--along with thousands of trees, shrubs, and flowers--was hauled in. The result is a natural haven for urban dwellers and a host of wildlife, including red-tailed hawks and migrating birds.

Central Park hawk

Roots

Don't these tenacious roots make it seem that in a contest between man and nature, nature will always win? Those bricks don't stand a chance!

Central Park trees at twilight

Lighted trees