"Art as a Voice for Trees - A Ribbon for the Beech Tree" - Art Action & Picnic

Bergschlösslpark, Linz, Austria, 9. November 2025

Welcome to the art event "Art as a Voice for Trees - A Ribbon for the Beech Tree” followed by a picnic.

We are two artists who love nature, Mariana Nikolai Pacheva and Christa Sommerer.

As you all know, 243 trees are soon to be felled here in Upper Austria's oldest botanical garden, the 300-year-old Bergschlösslpark in Linz. The city of Linz has sold these
trees to ASFINAG so that a multi-lane highway can be built right through the Froschberg in the middle of the city. Where we are standing now, large parts of nature are to be cleared.

Many of these trees are more than a hundred years old.
This European beech, a Fagus sylvatica, is between 100 and 150 years old, it has a height of approximately 30 meters, a trunk diameter of approximately 60 cm, and a crown diameter of around 25 m. To replace the environmental benefits of a 100-year-old beech tree like this one, around 5,000 young beech trees would have to be planted. It filters 30,000-40,000 m³ of air per day and 1 ton of fine dust per year. A beech tree like this cools its surroundings by up to 6 degrees. And that's not all: a beech tree is home to up to 270 beetles and vertebrates, including birds and rodents. This tree is the basis of life for specialized animal species such as the tree creeper, the nuthatch, and the middle spotted woodpecker. The root area of this beech tree is 200-400 m² and has a depth of 2-6 meters.

It is no wonder that our ancestors valued these trees.
The Celts regarded their beech forests as maternal beings and the beech tree as a nourishing tree. Beechnuts contain up to 40% fat, are very nutritious, tasty, and easy to collect. They were considered food for the dead and were given to the deceased as grave goods (soul bread for All Saints' Day/Samhain).

In the rustling of the beech trees, the seers and sages heard the whisperings of the great spirit. And what they heard whispered to them, they carved into beech sticks (from which the word “letter” derives).

In Japanese culture, too, old trees have been valued and protected for centuries. Trees are often considered sacred, as it is believed that they possess divine power. These sacred trees are known as goshinboku. They are often found in old parks, temple complexes, and shrines. The Japanese consider them inviolable and worthy of the utmost protection. It is also common to see old branches being specially supported and tied up with elaborate supports in order to keep the tree alive for as long as possible.

These goshinbokus, or sacred trees, are often tied with a large, thick rope called shimenawa. This rope serves as a symbol of the connection between the human world and the natural or divine world.

Today, we want to tie a shimenawa around our red beech tree together in an art project. Let's work together to attach this rope and decorate it.

The shimenawa is a symbol of appreciation for this red beech tree and for all the trees in this park. We want to protect them because we know how important they are for us, for the animals, for the insects, and for the entire environment.

Once the rope has been tied, you can all write your own wishes and thoughts about the red beech tree and all the trees in this park on small pieces of fabric. We can then tie these to the tree as a sign of our appreciation.

Afterwards, you are invited to a small picnic with coffee, tea, and cake.
Alex Borek from Vienna will provide the music. Thank you very much for coming to Linz especially to support us in protecting nature.

And before we start, we want to read a small poem to you:

Lebet wohl, geliebte Bäume,
Wachset in der Himmelsluft.
Tausend liebevolle Träume
Schlingen sich durch euren Duft.
 
Doch was steh' ich und verweile?
Wie so schwer, so bang ist's mir?
Ja, ich gehe! Ja, ich eile!
Aber ach mein Herz bleibt hier.

Englisch:

Farewell, beloved trees,
Grow in the air of heaven.
A thousand loving dreams
Entwine themselves in your scent.
 
But why do I stand and linger?
Why am I so heavy, so anxious?
Yes, I am leaving! Yes, I am hurrying!
But alas, my heart remains here.

(by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)