I tried for years to get Tristan Gooley on my podcast Your Outside Mindset where I speak with guests about how spending time outside and noticing new things makes you feel better about yourself and the world around you.
Gooley is in great demand because he is an expert in the art of natural navigation, finding direction using only nature’s clues. I have to admit, the idea of natural navigation scares me. I have labelled myself topographically challenged. I don’t know how to navigate without my iPhone. Long ago, I gave up trying to figure out which way is north. With one exception. At our family cabin on Lake Winnipeg, our parents taught us what a north, south, or east wind feels and looks like on the lake.
A Tree Shape Can Tell You Which Way You Are Looking
In this recent book, How To Read a Tree: Clues and Patterns from Bark to Leaves, Gooley says that trees will tell us which way we are looking. All we need to do is pause and look for clues.
“Trees grow more abundantly on the side that the light comes from. At the most basic level, there is more tree on the south side. When you look at the asymmetry of a tree, this tells a story of its life. For example, an oak tree might be a bit bigger on one side – probably the southern side in Canada and SE in UK. This means that life is a little easier for the tree on that side.”
Gooley tells us that “every part of every plant (it’s easier with trees because they are bigger) is reacting to sun, wind, and water.” This helps us to understand why trees grow bigger on the south side – because they are growing out toward the light. And the opposite is true.
On the northern side of a tree there are fewer branches, and they grow up toward the sky, closer to vertical to catch the light.
Our Ancestors Used Natural Navigation
Gooley says every part of the world has its own prevailing wind pattern. In the UK, it is SE to NW. He wants us to learn the prevailing winds in our area so that we can find out which direction we are looking by using the structure of a tree, its branches, and its roots.
Tristan Gooley shows us that the logic of natural navigation is simple and once the brain is taught, it will tell us, “North is that way.” This is how our ancestors lived. Trees respond to wind. Gooley reminds us that nothing in nature is random and that we too can become the Sherlock Holmes of each tree we look at. Everything can become a clue. All we have do is let the world wait and take the time to stop by a tree, be curious, and notice.
Notice Tree Roots to Help You Find Your Way
In How To Read a Tree Gooley teaches us about tree roots. Here’s a clue: the side of the tree that is pushed by more wind has stronger roots; this is probably the north side. Gooley says the “to do list of roots is to provide stability and they respond to what they find. Tree roots grow longer and stronger on the side facing prevailing winds. Look at the base of a tree trunk where it flares out.Trees,” says Gooley, “are master engineers.” The roots have no right angles to snap – only strong curves where the winds come from. He calls the slight flare on that vulnerable side, “elephant toes.”
Notice the Angle of the Tree Branches and Leaves
Gooley says that the branches where the light is less abundant shoot straight up – this in the UK is likely the North side. If the branches are horizontal, they are getting good light and are probably on the south side. Gooley says this is easier to see in the winter and when you swint your eyes to capture the shape. Leaves are different – leaves are horizontal on the northern side and vertical on the south side.
Trees Have Eyes and Eyebrows
Here’s how Gooley explains why trees have eyes and eyebrows:
“A tree doesn’t want to use energy that it does not have to. If a branch is not getting sun, the tree will let it die off. The shape of the iris in the eye is where the branch was. The wider shape is the branch support.”
So next time you meet a smooth bark tree, like a poplar or a birch, notice how it “self-prunes” – the eyebrows are where the old join was.
Have Fun with This Fresh Way of Looking at Trees
Gooley most of all wants us to have fun with this fresh way of looking at trees. I am so excited about using the information in How to Read a Tree. I just went outside to hang my laundry on the line and found that the apple and oak trees on my way there are both significantly fuller on the south side!
I am casting off my definition that I am topographically challenged. Like Gooley says, we have the brain structure for natural navigation, we just have to practice using it again – like our ancestors did so long ago. Let’s reverse the slow erosion of that natural navigation muscle.
Gooley gives us this positive message on using technology, like the compass on our iPhone: “We can have the best of both worlds. Using technology is a choice, as long as we recognize the opportunity costs, we can have the best of both worlds.”
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:
Would you consider picking a tree and using its structure to help you to know which way you are looking? Do you know your directions? Do you ever use a compass on your iPhone or a manual one? Can you tell which way the wind affects your tree? Does the shape of the tree, the placement of the branches, the leaves, and roots give you clues to help you find your way?