“Trees are the main players in the Empire of the Sun.” This is what friend Roelof Oldeman told me several months ago, driving at walking speed through the forests of the Veluwe. He continued: “We should consider them as such and treat them with grace, dignity and respect. Without them we will be lost.” What a wisdom.

 As we know, many trees and forests are under immense pressure due to human expansion with related not that so good governance and management. We need to remind ourselves – also called ‘hope’, i.e.  the idea of inner connection and involvement –  that nature is bigger than us: the tree is dead, long live the tree!

In Deadvlei these proud acacia’s still stand. They are believed to have died 600–700 years ago, due to change in river flow, drifting sand dunes and medieval climate changes. They are silent reminders of the noble thoughts and considerations of my dear friend. This one I found in my notebook from our travels through Namibia in 2003 and repainted it.