Planting A Tree

           Rose and Violet had just lost their younger sister Amaryllis.

Her loss devasted them, so they purchased a Memorial Tree for her Obituary. They designated that they wanted the tree planted in The Dry Tortugas National Park. After hurricane Ian passed thru, they had to close the park. Ian caused the loss of human life and property damage. Critical natural resources like coral reefs were also affected. Coral reefs are natural infrastructures that protect shorelines, support endangered species, and provide habitat for fisheries and tourism. There are fifty-one trees, flowers, and shrubs native to the park. Florida’s climate makes it the perfect place for all these beautiful plants to survive. Rose and Violet decided that the Eastern Redbud tree was beautiful, just like Amaryllis.

         As they grew older, the three would walk together in Northern Pacific Park, across the street from their childhood home. They always felt relaxed as they walked and smelled flowers, felt the sunshine, and listened to the trees rustling in the breeze., Some of their fondest memories of their childhood involved running in the woods and smelling the flowers and trees. They spent many hours playing baseball or exploring the tunnels under the streets.

         Summertime always meant a picnic at their uncle’s lake cabin. They heard many stories about their Great Grandfather, who was born in Essen, Germany, so they had heard many times about Waldeinsamkeit, which means “solitude of the forest.” Germany, as in other countries, uses the practice of Mindfulness which is walking in the forest. Mindfulness helps with stressful distractions and is very popular with people in high-stress jobs.

          Since they both had plenty of vacation time, Rose and Violet felt it would be special to honor Amaryllis by going to Germany to celebrate Plant A Tree Day. Plant A Tree Day, celebrated on September 28^th, is a global effort. They were excited as they planned their trip. They planned to fly out on Saturday the 16^th and return on Saturday the 30^th. After they got everything planned, all they had to do was wait.

         Finally, Saturday the 16^th was here! They had a friend drive them down to the airport. Being around such a vast crowd made them nervous.

They finally reached the check-in, where they got through security quickly. They made their way to their gate. They checked their bags, then found a place to sit and wait. At least, it was time to board the plane. They made it to their seats and prepared for take-off. The flight would last for 9 hours and 3 minutes, and they left Msp at 3:27 pm.

         At last! They landed at Essen/Mülheim Airport. Since it was 9:35 am, they decided to check into their hotel. They had already picked the Flowers Hotel Essen as their home base for the next two weeks. After they settled in, they decided to have lunch in the hotel, then relax. The restaurant in the hotel served a delicious lunch. After lunch, they returned to their room to plan the next two weeks.

         They decided to pay their respects to the memories of the Jewish faith who died in Auschwitz. They agreed on the tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps. After this unpleasant but eye-opening trip, these were the two with the most extensive deaths. They decided on two castle tours. They chose the Neuschwanstein castle tour for the next day; they wanted to see Linderhof Palace the next day.

         The next day they went exploring Essen. After a busy shopping day, they decided to try the Bavarian Beer and Food Evening Tour. After dinner, they decided to take The Old Court Chapel tour, including a museum tour. They listened to one hour of classical music by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. That evening while they were relaxing, they decided to turn their attention to nature.

         They started by spending the day in Krupp Park. Krupp Park is a public green space with 230 hectares of greenery and 18,000 bushes and trees. With playgrounds, rest areas, and viewpoints. The park has 230 hectares of greenery. They could ride bikes, hike, sit, and enjoy the peace that Krup park offered. The next day they would be off to explore their first forest.

Their first national forest would be Kellerwald-Edersee National Park.

         Rose and Violet planned on spending two days exploring Kellerwald-Edersee National Park. Rose and Violet had to choose which community they wanted to explore. They chose Wildtier Park Edersee park first. They were surprised that the name means (wild animal park). WildtierPark contains Wolf, lynx and wildcat, European bison, red deer, wild horse, and prowling lynx with brush ears. They also got to see the otter family swimming in the cool water. They got to watch the feeding of the wolf pack. The bird of prey air show was an unforgettable experience. A Golden Eagle uses the upwind and spirals elegantly up into the sky. Eurasian Griffon and eagle owl glide on mighty wings over Rose and Violet’s heads. They were brave enough to pet the “King of the Night,” the eagle owl.

         At last, the Love a Tree Plant a Tree arrived. The Black Forest is known for folklore, magic, and fairy tales. The park has many attractive waterfalls, peaceful lakes, deep forests, and open mountains. Rose and Violet were surprised to learn that this is where the Black Forest Gummies and Fruit Snacks started. These treats are part of a diverse portfolio owned by The Ferrero Group. The Black Forest believes in making the world better every day. They now make all of them with colors and flavors from natural sources.

         Upon arriving at the Black Forest, Rose and Violet each hugged a tree in remembrance of Amaryllis. Although there are many sights to see in The Black Forest, they wanted to see Triberg Falls, Germany’s highest waterfall in runs down a 535-foot mountain slope into the valley of Triberg. They last visited Triberg, a town famous for many cuckoo-clock shops. They both found a clock that they liked and purchased them. Before leaving, they donated money to the cause. Black Forest also participated in new marketing initiatives. All partners developed creative, fun, and engaging content to increase our message on social media. This campaign yielded record-breaking numbers for the Black Forests brand.

         Finally, the day arrived for Rose and Violet to go home. Although they did not want to leave, they were glad for their time practicing Waldeinsamkeit, a tradition that meant finding peace in the woods. When they arrived at Minneapolis-St Paul airport, they were happy to see the family members who had welcomed them back home. When they returned home and rested for a day, it was time for the annual picnic at the lake. Everyone enjoyed listening to their stories and seeing pictures of them hugging a tree.

         Finally, Rose and Violet felt that by taking this trip, they had adequately honored Amaryllis, who could now rest peacefully.