A Tree Survives the 9/11 Attacks and teaches us about healing from trauma
In October 2001, there was a horrifically injured tree discovered at Ground Zero in New York City after the infamous September 11th attacks. This Callery pear tree had shattered roots and branches without hope of survival after the deadly blast that injured humans and the wildlife and vegetation in the surrounding area.
Concerned citizens and park rangers, removed the tree from the debris of the terror attack and placed it in the care of the New York Department of Parks & Recreation. It was re-planted at a nearby park and nurtured for nine years. After this time, park rangers deemed it was healthy enough to return to the 9/11 Memorial site in 2010.
“Today, the tree stands as a living reminder of resilience, survival, and rebirth,” share the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
In the bestselling book, The Hidden Life of Trees, German forester and author Peter Wohlleben notes that “a tree can only be as strong as the forest that surrounds it.” This book was revelatory in that it introduced the truth that there is more to trees than what is commonly known above ground. They are no mere objects or resources to be mined, they are alive in every sense of the word. They feel, nurture, and protect each other.
Trees, together, create an ecosystem of mutuality (not unlike the addiction recovery community) where they weather extremes, share resources through their intricate root systems, communicate through scent and electrical signals, and work together.
What happened when the traumatized pear tree was replanted in an anonymous new place in the Bronx? How was it nourished and nurtured? How is it nourished today as it continues to get stronger and flourish?
One can only assume that along with skilled and compassionate foresters, its neighboring trees have something to do with its healing and recovery, too. Trees often have extensive root systems that intertwine with those of other trees, sharing nutrients and support.
The Survivor Tree still displays the scars of trauma it withstood, yet there are new branches that have grown out from the places damaged by the blast. Today, there is a steel railing that encircles the base of its trunk and cables that once helped keep it upright have since been removed. It stands strong in a park with neighboring trees nearby.
Erin Jacobson is Senior Advisor, TAPS Outreach and Engagement and the surviving fiancée of Cpl. Jason Kessler, U.S. Army, shares in an article titled The Healing Wisdom of Trees, that “The trauma it went through is still a part of the tree but that isn’t the end of the story. Its roots run deep and its branches reach high.”
For those of us who are survivors of trauma in its varying forms and shades, the Survivor Tree can offer a picture of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. Like this incredible tree, we, too, can experience the healing power of community. With time, whatever massive tragedy or trauma we’ve endured can be healed. With the support of others, we can flourish again.
”They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8
