Nature gives us many blessings. Most of which we take for granted. In terms of trees, they provide shade, foundations for tree houses, homes for birds, and endless memories. They are like our wise guardians that have no voice. Having been around for so long, they have played witness to so much. One woman had a 110-year-old tree growing on her property that had become sick. Inevitably, the tree was cut down. But, instead of removing it entirely, she built it into a community library for everyone to appreciate it’s wisdom.
Community library inside a trunk
Sharalee Armitage Howard was faced with a dilemma. There was a beautiful cottonwood tree in her garden that was well-loved. Sadly, it had become sick and started dropping branches as a survival mechanism. The branches were no small issue. They were big enough that Sheralee was concerned for the safety of those walking by her house. In an interview with Bored Panda, she said: “It was dropping HUGE branches for years onto the sidewalk and street (even without windy weather). We were really worried about someone getting hurt. One finally hit our son’s car.”
What’s interesting is that cottonwood trees have a lifespan of about 40-50 years. So, this particular cottonwood tree had lived two lives. Regardless, Sheralee did not want anyone to get hurt, so she hired a tree feller to cut it down.
But, Sheralee used to be a librarian, and she had grand plans for the trunk. Instead of removing it, she made it into a community library for all to enjoy. With the help of a non-profit organization, she transformed it into place of knowledge.
Little Free Library
There is a non-profit organization called Little Free Library. They are on a mission to preserve the love of books. In other words, they want more people to have easy access to books. Additionally, they strive to “inspire reading” and work towards “building community.” Their website reads: “inspiring a love of reading, building community, and sparking creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world.”
Sheralee got all the help she needed from Little Free Library. As a result, a fairy-tale-like library stood in her front yard for anyone to access. First, the inside of the trunk was carved out to create a hollow and a roof was placed on top. Then, some wooden shelves were added. Following that, a light fixture was put in place to make it easy to see what books are available.
Additionally, they added a light to the from of the trunk on the outside, to light the way for those approaching. Lastly, the community library was complete with a set of stone stairs leading the way to the glass door that keeps the books protected. If you happen to pass by this magical library, just know that anyone can take a book. But, the only rule is if you want a book from the library, you must leave one of yours in its place.
Comments from the internet
One person was struck by the irony of the community library inside the tree trunk. As a result, their comment was somewhere in between horrific and hilarious. “It’s like a house of horrors for trees,” they wrote. “Inside the corpse of their former comrade are the processed remnants of their tree brothers and tree sisters. A literal tree house of horrors”.
Another person marveled at the genius idea Sheralee had. They wrote: “What a wonderful thing she did! This 110 year old tree has now gotten its life extended because of this wonderful lady who turned it into something that everyone can see and use and Marvel at!!!“
