I look at a tree, imagining how it appears to another person with different interests, to a bird, a cat, a squirrel, a flying insect, or a bug living inside the bark. If we can reverse our egocentric ways of looking, the tree is appreciated as an active participant in its environment. As Heidegger said, one of its qualities is to "stay," and by staying, it "gathers" in its treely way. People, animals, birds, insects, zephyrs, waters, sunlight, spirits, and imaginings are all collected by the tree.
— Shaun McNiff, Earth Angels