Last week the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.” Made up of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as victims of nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific, the organization works to ensure that no one ever again is subjected to the suffering experienced by the survivors (Hibakusha). This recognition could not have been more timely, as the horrors of World War II rapidly fade from living memory and multiple ongoing conflicts have increased the threat of nuclear catastrophe. We must learn from these survivors while we still can.
I recently learned about another group of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors bringing a message of peace and hope to the world: the Hibakujumoku, Survivor Trees. While researching making tea from Gingko tree leaves for my certification as a Forest Therapy Guide, I learned about the Ginkgos and other trees including Weeping Willows, Camphor Trees, Pines, Junipers, Sago Palms and more who survived the bombings. Protected by the soil, these trees were able to regenerate from their roots to survive the devastation.
These trees fostered hope and resilience for all who saw them, and now thanks to Green Legacy Hiroshima, they share this message by safeguarding and spreading the seeds and saplings of Hiroshima’s survivor trees worldwide. A great deal of wisdom can come from listening to trees, and these survivors have much to share with us.
Ginkgos are "living fossils" with a fascinating reproductive biology, and humans have spread them far and wide to become common street and park trees around the word. They are not invasive, but freely share gifts of oxygen, beauty, and medicine with us. I have the privilege of knowing several Ginkgos near my home, whom I think of as friends and visit often. Learning about the Ginkgo survivors and other Hibakujumoku inspired me to write a poem, Ginkgo biloba, which I also submitted to the Electric City Arts Contest as a way to spread their message of peace and resilience.
Perhaps the next time you see a Ginkgo tree, you'll pause to admire their beauty, listen to their wisdom, and thank them for the gifts they give us.
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