It’s like having a friend with family in some other country — because I know and love my friend, I feel a kinship with their people.
For example, one of the common tree species I encounter in Salt Lake City is the catalpa tree. I can easily identify it. Its leaves are heart-shaped leaves and its long cigar-shaped seed pods hang below its foliage.
Catalpa trees are classified in the family of Bignoniaceae — botanists refer to them as "Bignons," and they grow all over the tropics. Because I’m aware of catalpa trees in Utah, I search for information about their relatives in faraway places, and for the values they hold for people there.
For example, in Nicaragua, a bignon produces seeds that are powdered to make a refreshing drink called semilla de jicaro.
Another bignon that grows in the Phillipines has three-part leaves that resemble a crucifixion cross, so people there consider it to be a religious symbol.
In Colombia, the bark of a bignon has a paralyzing effect on crustaceans. Fishermen there put bark shavings near the burrows of crabs. They then harvest the immobilized crabs and bring them to market.
When I dream about my future journeys, I don't need a pouchful of plane tickets. I can just stroll under the shade of our city’s catalpa trees and feel connected to their relatives around the world, recognizing the beauty of our family of trees and the people who love them.
