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Laura here. Over four hundred mature, healthy trees, including historic oaks and maples, were recently felled at a golf course in Washington, D.C., reminding me of my very first environmental activist mentor, the titular character from Dr. Suess’s The Lorax. That’s the inspiration for this episode.

Also, a warm thank you to Shel Silverstein for the art inspired by The Giving Tree.

By the way, what if Paul Bunyan had the occasional regret?

Photo: by Laura Chamberlain Dedelow, taken in the backyard of a good friend who saw the tree was in trouble from the intertwining vines. We cut the vines to free the tree. Apologies to the vines!