Trees have provided us shelter from storms while alive and have become the walls of our homes in their death. They have provided fire to stay alive from the cold and to cook our meals. Trees provide the very air we breath with the oxygen necessary for our survival. They communicate to one another underground through symbiotic relationships with mushroom mycelium and through that same network can transfer nutrients to younger trees in need. We may never fully understand just how important these miraculous plants are but we owe them immense respect and gratitude. Most of us have a favorite tree or a tree we remember climbing as a child, and if it’s a healthy oak, it will probably be there after we are gone. When felled for lumber, something so special deserves to be utilized in a way that honors the life of the noble, giving tree.