Stories Through Nature: Ashe Juniper
Written by Antonia; August 26, 2020
For the last tree I would be filming in Austin, I decided to film the Ashe Juniper tree in my backyard. I’ve always loved Junipers, although I’m not entirely sure why, and it’s always been my favorite tree near my house. I’ve always watched it through my kitchen window while doing the dishes, hoping to catch sight of a cardinal or mockingbird landing on its branches. Such moments, though small, brought me a lot of happiness.
As I sat in my backyard, beneath this tree, it began to sink in that I wouldn’t be at home for a while. Until then, I hadn’t really registered how far from home I would be and, while I didn’t feel scared about it, I felt a bit of shock regarding how big my next step in life would be. I used this moment to think about this, listening to the sound of wind chimes in the distance and birds in the trees around me.
(Also, at one point, my neighbors’ chickens hopped over our fence and began exploring our backyard, which was very fun to watch).
Stories Through Nature is a project of the 2020 Youth Forest Council. You can learn more about the program at www.austintexas.gov/youthforest.