Eco Family News: The Tree Ceremony – Honoring a Landmark of the SFV

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Tree Ceremony – Honoring a Landmark of the SFV

Posted by EcoFamilyNews

Ceremony honoring Aleppo

On October 12, 2011, twenty neighbors on Kittridge Street in Van Nuys gathered together to honor and celebrate the life of one of the oldest native tree spirits of the San Fernando Valley – that of a 300-year-old Aleppo Pine – standing 150 feet tall.

When news of the sale of this beautiful Van Nuys property brought with it word that the tree that gave shade to more than half the block was too tall to insure, the new owners were devastated – as were all the neighbors. Under great pressure from the mortgage and insurance companies – that would not complete the sale, or insure the property if the tree stayed – the owners gave in. Who would have thought that liability fears of mega companies would one day take the life of this beautiful historic landmark?

The neighbors that arrived early

We (all the neighbors) had been talking about the impending doom for a month, but were still taken aback when we literally heard the buzzing sound of the chainsaw. When I realized what the sound meant, I ran down the street to see what was going on. My friend Kathy who lives a few houses east of the tree was also out there. She had been raised on Kittridge and had enjoyed many hours of imaginative play under the pine’s shaded branches. After a quick convening of the minds, it was decided that we would hold an honoring ceremony that night for Aleppo’s life.

Suzanna gives thanks & says goodbye

We rallied all the neighbors and met in front of the tree as the full moon came up in the night’s sky. One by one people began sharing stories about the tree and the areas history, weaving a tapestry of time to reflect upon. What I learned that night was that Aleppo once served as the defining landmark for finding Van Nuys from Mulholland Drive (before there were large buildings), and that Kittridge Street was the main road that led to the area developer’s estate (over a century ago). We aren’t sure if it was that of Isaac Newton Van Nuys, or one of the other developers?

Nine-year-old Suzanna was the first to approach Aleppo over the yard filled obstacle course of fallen trunk. She forged right up and began to talk to the tree and pray as she wrapped her arms as far around as they would go. I was quickly behind her and then slowly one by one the others joined us. We all took turns giving thanks for her years of service to us, while asking forgiveness for what had begun that day – the final chapter. Some of us cried with Aleppo as her sap ran out of her like tears down a cheek, dripping freely onto my (our) head(s). The ground was so thick with her essence that my feet stuck to the dirt below me.

Over the course of the next few days, with permission from the new owners (and the spirit of the tree), each of us took pieces of her trunk/branches to make chairs and tables – something to hold in memory and reflect on of our cherished tree spirit friend - Aleppo.