This week I took a very special visit to Oak Park with childhood pal Roisin Mcgloughlin . She takes us to view the tallest tree in County Carlow and tells a story in memory of her father .
“I don’t have many memories of my father,
He died when I was seven .
I grew up in Carlow, the youngest of eight children.
My Dad would pile us up in the car
and drive us to Oak Park .
We’d make our way past the ivy entangled temple
and go deep into the forest to find
the Californian Redwood tree, the tallest in Carlow.
We’d form a chain holding hands to see
if we could reach all the way around the massive tree trunk .
We pressed our cheeks tightly against the flaky red bark
to help us stretch further .
I enhaled it’s earthy smell as I hugged the majestic tree .
Driving home we would look back and see if we could pick it out.
The giant, the king of trees.
It’s branches stretching high above all the others .
I don’t have many memories of my father ,
but he was the tallest tree in the forest ,
head and shoulders above the rest . “
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Roisin’s father and my father worked in the same agricultural research centre now known as Teasgsc in Carlow. We shared many similar memories as a large young family taking Sunday visits to the Giant Redwood in the beautiful wooded lands of Oak Park. It was a trip down memory lane on several levels as we were accompanied by my father’s work colleague from several years ago, Brendan Dunne, who kindly took us to view the woods. He remembered and reminisced a little about both our fathers.
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公开征集视频形式树的故事
“记忆宫殿树的故事” 是一个关注社会与生态环境的艺术实践，这个项目邀请大家讲述一个关于树的故事，或者提供与树有关的信息。这是一项创意主导的社会调查，旨在探讨我们作为个人和作为集体怎样才能过得更好。你的故事可以是任何种类的树的故事，关于个人的、关于生态、环境、历史方面的，甚至是植物学方面的树的故事。我真诚希望大家就我们如何能在更广大的生命共同体中更好地生活发表自己的想法和意见。
2023年，我们将继续征集一分钟视频形式的树的故事，非常期待听到您的讲述。可以直接在这个平台上联系我，也可以在网站的联系方式页面上联系我
倪芙瑞莲 Niamh Cunningham