T-R-E-E read RED

Aha! So this is possibly where ‘message tree’ and the ‘renewal’ thing came from in the current show? ... In 2003, Launceston artist Elizabeth Smith completed a work called MESSAGE TREE that captured the story, portraying the message of metamorphosis ... The site remains, as depicted in her art work. The plantation has grown, and the healthy trees planted by the CRC are now several metres high ... ‘Each year the new trees grow, reducing the impact of the fading red TREE lettering,’ said Maria Weeding. ‘Perhaps this is the same message of change and renewal happening over time. From:

http://www.daff.gov.au/natural-resources/landcare/publications/making_a_difference_a_celebration_of_landcare/section_4__landcare_tackling_the_issue

(scroll down to bottom of page)

PringaDa 2011

Community awareness

Landcare tackling the issues

Seeing red

Group: Various

Location: Midlands region, Tas.

Formed Project period 1996–2003

Focus: Awareness about tree decline

Declining tree numbers in central Tasmania were enough to make a group of landcarers, school children and artists see red ... After several months of planning, they came together in May 1996 to make a statement—by painting a dead tree red. The tree was located just north of Antill Ponds, beside the Midlands Highway—in a part of Tasmania suffering from massive tree decline ... The red tree became a powerful symbol. The painting coincided with the release of research findings showing that tree decline was having a profound effect on the area’s ecology and beauty ... ‘The idea of painting a dead tree red was to make the travelling public notice the landscape and open people’s minds to land degradation issues,’ said Maria Weeding from the Midlands Tree Committee ... ‘The red tree gained notoriety, taking on nationwide importance. It symbolised the urgency of the declining quality of our rural tree landscapes’... Landcare Australia used the idea to initiate a ‘landcare sees red’ program to highlight the issue of land degradation in agricultural areas. Posters and postcards of the red tree were printed and distributed to schools ... The red tree also featured in many newspapers and magazines, and singer Sharyn Lee recorded a song about it ... This is an image of carved letters on the original red tree site at Woodbury.

A few months later tragedy struck when vandals burned the tree to the ground. The red tree had died a second death, but all was not lost ... Landcare Australia took up the cause and initiated the symbolic painting of a dead tree in each state to highlight the problem of tree decline ... Artist Ray Norman came up with the idea of creating and painting four giant letters spelling the word T R E E, to be erected on the original Tasmanian red tree site ... Students from Bracknell Primary School painted each of the carved letters red, and they were installed on site in March 1997 ... Over time the maintenance and safety of the structure became an issue. In 2000, the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Sustainable Production Forestry established four trial plantations and a demonstration area—a symbol of new trees arising from the ashes of the original tree ... Before planting the new trees, the giant red letters were moved a few metres closer to the Midlands Highway and repositioned safely in a semi-vertical position against railing so motorists could still read them ...In 2003, Launceston artist Elizabeth Smith completed a work called MESSAGE TREE that captured the story, portraying the message of metamorphosis

The site remains, as depicted in her art work. The plantation has grown, and the healthy trees planted by the CRC are now several metres high ... ‘Each year the new trees grow, reducing the impact of the fading red TREE lettering,’ said Maria Weeding. ‘Perhaps this is the same message of change and renewal happening over time ... ‘The new trees continue to thrive amidst the ongoing drought and challenging times for the Tasmanian Midlands environment, making this site something very special.’