A treehugger's special reason to celebrate July 4th
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If sticking an American flag on the car right next to the Sierra Club feels somewhat wrong, there’s plenty of reason for nature lovers to be proud of the distinguished role our fine, leafy friends played in the founding of the country.
Liberty Trees were once a meeting place of early American revolutionaries, most specifically the one that dated back to a few years after the Puritans’ arrival and around which the city of Boston grew. It was under that venerable tree the Sons of Liberty organized their first public protest in 1765 and the trend of meeting under elms to rally the forces independence spread throughout the colonies.
So potent was that original Liberty Tree as symbol of independence, it was targeted by the opposition in the opening battles of the Revolutionary War. In 1775, a group of Loyalists chopped down the old tree and used it for firewood. This only served to stoke the passions of early patriots who soon adorned their flags with an image of that tree.
So, while you’re out taking a break from playing volleyball, chasing the kids or sweatin’ it out over the grill, hug the tree providing the shade and give yourself some points for patriotism.
Full story at Treehugger.
