Woods of Memory
Imagine a world where trees stand in honor of women lost but not forgotten,
branches extend loving shade under which we share their story.
Loved through memory – rooted in intention – honored by community.
Beginning with Women
At the intersection of missing women and tree canopy you will find Woods of Memory. Each year, too many indigenous women, women of color, and trans women disappear from their communities as loved ones grieve and hope. Unresolved grief often continues with some women never found. Simultaneously, summer temperatures in underserved neighborhoods escalate to an average of 14 degrees higher than in their more affluent counterparts, in part due to inadequate tree canopy. The Woods of Memory project plants a tree to honor the spirit of a woman lost to her community; her tree tells her story and cares for her loved ones.
Woods of Memory is a project of community, organic in its composition. It is easy to feel powerless in a system built for the few. Remembering is resistance; memory is rooted in Nature’s permanence. As the woods grow deeper, so does the awareness of our collective grief. Through story we call attention to the spirit, creativity, language, and ideals of those lost. We grow in our sustainability as we stay flexible to serve our city. As more people in Tacoma embrace this project and make it their own, it can grow to honor others who have been allowed to disappear in our society. This is where we begin, where we grow is up to you.
Woods of Memory is rooted in Tacoma, planted and nurtured by two Tacoma women, and strengthened with every partnership, every host, every dedication.
How you can help?
We have a goal to begin planting in fall of 2025. There are several ways to participate in Woods of Memory. They fall into the categories of: Adopting or Sponsoring, and becoming a Community Partner.
How the Tacoma Pilot project will work?
We are piloting our project in Tacoma, a city like many, struggling to address the inequities of underserved communities, including the lack of tree canopy. Tree canopy is a critical feature to surviving the rising temperatures of our world. In Tacoma, there is a huge disparity in the intensity of summer temperatures in underserved neighborhoods. It is not unusual to see families crowded beneath a single neighborhood tree looking for refuge on a hot day, when often uninsulated apartments and homes are dangerous to people’s health. Woods of Memory will not undo the injustice, nor will it cover neighborhoods in trees overnight, but it can unite us as to act as communities to add shade, build hope, one tree, one remembered woman at a time.
This project is not ours; it belongs to all of us as the branches of our woodland expand to unite us in community. We welcome input and feedback (please be constructive with criticism), especially from those who suffer the loss of a woman they would like to honor.
Additionally, trees are as diverse as we are, and they have been used as a tool for gentrification in our areas. We welcome any feedback that could help us change this "landscape."