Sexytrees: Can a tree be sexy?
The word sexy is always trendy. But what is sexy? Human beings use it to define the person we find attractive, either from a physical perspective as well as intellectual or spiritual. But why do we apply this word only to people? Trees also display their charms before our eyes and invite us to admire them. The beauty of trees fills our hearts. Couldn't we say that trees are also sexy? Yes! Let's explain why:
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”
Guaramo Tree - Putumayo
A part of natural selection, “the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change”, is sexual selection. Sex is a primal drive, the mechanism by which species are perpetuated. Despite having been stigmatized for centuries, it is natural and necessary. Without it, there would be no life on Earth.
Not all species get to have sex, some species divide instead. But all species reproduce and for this, they choose the ideal partner. To pass their genes from one generation to the next, usually, males of a species develop certain characteristics or behaviors that allow them to stand out and attract females.
For instance, peacock spiders perform a complicated dance with their multicolored tails and hippos measure the size of their mouths before engaging in a bloody battle. Male gentoo penguins search for a precious stone to give to a female, and the one who accepts it becomes their lifelong companion. Hummingbirds climb 20 meters into the sky to dive, and before touching the ground, make a U-turn to go back up and repeat this feat until they manage to attract the attention of a female.
Yes, these behaviors can make animals more visible to predators and put them in danger, but all take the risk and use them to be sexy to the opposite potential mates. Thanks to these daring antics, they manage to reproduce, perpetuating the species for another generation.
Sexy humans
Humans act in much the same way. Men and women adapt to the taste of the moment to fit into prevailing beauty canon and attract attention from the opposite sex. We go to clubs in provocative clothes and dance, we use perfumes, and flirt by using gestures or attempting to strike up interesting conversation. Like a peacock spider, we display a wide spectrum of sexy behaviors in an attempt to impress potential mates.
Since humans are one of the few species that have sex for pleasure, along with bonobos and dolphins, the range of what is considered sexy is wide and does not always have reproductive purposes. However, when it comes time to choose a partner and have children, human beings play it safe.
Evidence from evolutionary biology and cultural anthropology shows that we look for healthy and intelligent people. Men tend to select women with wide hips that predict their ability to procreate, and women tend to select men with strong features. In short, despite what we see on the fashion runways of Paris, what is considered sexy is still as old as the ages; attraction to genetic traits that are inherently positive to cross with one's own for survival and reproduction.
Sexy trees
It’s not only fauna that reproduces. Earth’s flora also finds ways to propagate its species every day. Many trees use the colors of their flowers to attract bees and ensure the spread of pollen. For example, in the rainforests of Sumatra, the giant hoop uses scent to attract insects and breed. With the smell of corpses, its enormous flowers entice flies that leave eggs and take pollen, guaranteeing the survival of this plant.
It’s impossible to deny that trees and other plant species, like humans, must also display their charms and be sexy to guarantee the perpetuation of their genes.
Do we need to change the
meaning of sexy?
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor is it the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
The planet is in a state of emergency and all species are at risk. Survival no longer depends only on what each species can do for itself, but rather on what all species can contribute to recover the lost balance. And most importantly, what the human species can do.
Due to our way of living, we have devastated the health of the planet. We polluted the rivers, eroded the mountains, cut down the forests, and persecuted the animals. We filled everything with garbage. We have put biodiversity and ourselves at risk, without even realizing it. More than fifty years ago the alarms went off, but few of us understood the seriousness of our situation. The savage materialism we embraced has impacted the planet in a way that puts everything at risk. The loss of biodiversity is enormous and ecosystems are becoming dangerous for the species that live in them.
From that perspective, what is sexy today?
Sexy is to be an environmentalist and use our voice to change your neighbor's mind about consuming. Sexy is the person who recycles, who buys second-hand things, who prefers walking to showing off the latest cars. Sexy: clean energy, solar panels, electric cars. Sexy: a person who accepts himself as he is and who does not need new clothes, flashy jewelry, and expensive operations to appear what he is not. Sexy: the one who understands natural is beautiful. Sexy: the one who values old houses and doesn't spend resources unnecessarily remodeling the kitchen, the living room, the dining room. Sexy: the one who reforests instead of cutting down; the one who cares for wild animals instead of hunting. Sexy is the one who preserves all species by changing their way of life, the one who gradually abandons consumerism, the one who loves nature and becomes natural.
What's sexy to Savimbo
There are nine types of intelligence, some more well-known than others. Mathematical intelligence tends to be valued in industrialized nations. But there is also an erroneous belief that if you are good with numbers you are intelligent and if not, you are stupid and that's it. Nothing is more wrong. There is also linguistic, existential, musical, spatial, bodily, and emotional intelligence... But we’d like to call attention to an intelligence that is often forgotten. We think this intelligence is the most important of all and, therefore, the people who have it are sexy without any doubt. It is naturalistic intelligence. Have you ever heard of it?
People with naturalistic intelligence are sensitive to the natural world. If they prune a tree, it grows stronger and more colorful. They are good at seeding, propagating plants, and connecting with animals. They love nature, feel comfortable in it, and are capable of noticing any change that occurs in a landscape.
When you go for a walk, do you look up at the treetops and see nothing but a mass of leaves hiding birds and squirrels? For many, it is a surprise to discover that what looks like chaos is actually an orderly spiral of beauty and life. Artists of all ages have used these proportions in their work, captivating their viewers. For instance, if you see the graphic design novel Imago, do you see fractals, Fibonacci sequence, and insect carapaces in the shapes? Do you know what these patterns are? From Leonardo da Vinci to Vincent Van Gogh, artists have printed this natural movement on their canvases. We are as dazzled as we are seduced by the curves of the flowers, the patterns of the animal skins, and the beauty of the trees that invite us to climb their trunks and get lost in the spiral of their branches.
Developing the ability to admire this natural harmony of which we are a part is the first step to recover the balance lost due to progress and its idea of civilization. We have so much to learn from peasants and indigenous people. From the unconditional love they feel for their lands, the trees, and the animals that cohabit with them in the interior of the jungle.
To begin, we need to feel the urge to raise our voice and say to every one without shame: I love trees. To find beauty in nature more than on screens. To collect beautiful trees rather than objects. We need to feel love of trees as we love our mother, because they are part of our family. These beautiful green things have more benefits than you know: they regulate the climate, ensure the water cycle, clean the air you breath, prevent erosion, and give you a hug when you are stressed. Who needs more reasons to plant trees? So get out of the box today and learn about tree significance. Find new ways for saving a tree. Learn how to conserve trees. This knowledge will help you save so many species: each tree is a galaxy where infinite forms of life interact. The jungle is the mirror of the universe.
If you find yourself asking why am I drawn to trees or why is nature so beautiful, you aren't a lost cause. Become a naturalistic learner. Learn from the masters. Join the eco-army. That's sexy. Savimbo knows it. Each one of the growers that are part of our team has that gift and uses it to take care of the jungle, reforest the Amazon, lower the carbon footprint, and give breath back to Earth and humanity.
We need to get back to go forward
“We are called upon . . . to change the myths that are leading us toward extinction.”
Primitive behavior may be the key to having the sexiest behavior these days. Barry Cottrell says that “deep within the layers of the human psyche there exists a more primal mind, a mind open to, and participating in, the world around it”. The earliest humans had a mystical relationship with nature. Beyond ethnocentrism, they saw in plants and animals a mirror of their own existence and lived in unity with nature. We should return to the old ways and free ourselves from human narcissism. Go back to that moment when we fell in love with a tree and dive in a hug inside its generous branches.
Written by Melibea and Drea Burbank, MD. Melibea is a published writer in Colombia, and Drea is an MD technologist.
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