Speak for the Trees

Helllooo all! My name is Josie Hammond, and I am a Tennessee native. I live a short distance from Edwin and Percy Warner Parks, which have cultivated my love for the great outdoors since childhood. Recently, I was able to build upon my appreciation of nature through a NOLS backpacking trip through Wyoming—a raw look at nature completely undisturbed from the rest of the world that transformed the way I viewed my own role in nature’s story. Every day was a study in how to appreciate the little things and seek joy even when we were hungry, exhausted, or sore. I hope this page can be a similar study in gratitude and joy, shining as a beacon of hope in a world that can seem dark at times. The world is in dire need of assistance, but hope is the biggest tool in creating change, and change is necessary, now more than ever. I hope to remind people of the beauty of the world we’re fighting for and inspire them into action. My favorite Mary Oliver poem is “When I am Among the Trees”, and my favorite line is “When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily.”