The city of Kingston and parts of St. Andrew – are currently experiencing a building boom. A phenomenon that has increased the demand for cement while simultaneously shrinking the size of many new lawns. From a particular distance this material transformation of Kingston can be seen as progress or even renewal, but from a daily pavement point of view the impact of the changes has raised more questions than definitive answers.
As a St. Andrew homeowner and Kingston based cultural professional I have beenthinking deeply about the direction and pace of the construction which I see from my verandah in the mornings and observe near my office at lunch. As a result, I periodically have visions of the city as it may look or maybe experience in the future and through this imaginary lens I have seen interesting architecture, a certain level of social convenience and a few challenges.
A challenge that has captured my attention in recent times is how many trees will survive the building boom, especially large trees which are on the premises of schools, government entities and business establishments. As the demand for parking space grows, I have found myself repeatedly thinking about one of my favorite trees in the city. Affectionately called Tree-A-Life, it is a 15 – 16 feet high Lignum Vitae tree that resides on the campus of the Edna Manley Collage of the Visual and Performing Arts and can be seen from the corner of Tom Redcam Drive and Arthur Wint Drive.
At Tree A Life I have had many meaningful moments, moments shaped primarily by intriguing discussion, long term friendship and the compassionate sharing of food. From these experiences I have developed an appreciation for the beloved Lignum Vitae beyond its biological function, because I have found a place for it in my heart as a communal space for artistic fellowship like others before me.
With that in mind I pray that Tree-A-Life will be allowed to grow to maturity and if so allowed will remain a heaven for the environmentally emphatic, the artistically focused and the intellectually curious. So, based on what has been said, may all who have been enriched by its regenerative blessing honour it from time to time with compost and a little water as long as it lives.
