It’s been a strange spring, as most Americans have been sequestered in their homes because of COVID-19. But the experience has led many to appreciate the trees and, more broadly, the nature that surrounds them. Here, in words and pictures, is how four of the writers and photographers for this magazine issue see the natural world from their home offices.

“My sliver of a D.C. yard boasts a tree swing that my kids go crazy for. How did I string the rope over the branch, you might ask? I used my drone which has brought me hours of boasting rights. I can now sit in my home office on the second floor, or, more often than not lately, on the back patio and watch my kids laugh as they push one another. Having access to this tree and this swing has helped bring sanity to a world gone mad.”
— JOEL CLARK, WASHINGTON, D.C.

“The view from my home office, which is the front porch of my parents’ farm, reminds me of one of the few constants in life right now — that spring will come. For me, part of the joy is seeing one of my favorite goats graze amongst the budding trees in the front field.”
—JENNY NICHOLS, GREAT FALLS, VA.

“I am a creature that likes to nestle. Tucked in the crook of a hill, bordered by the beautiful backyards of my neighbors and hills that often ebb and flow with coastal mist, it wraps me in a hug. A coastal redwood rises above our property, one of only a few of these trees in Astoria, a secret haven.”
— MORGAN HEIM, ASTORIA, ORE.

 
“A stand of chestnut oaks, as erect as Greek columns, rises beside a river outside my window. It’s the first sight I see each morning, and it reminds me that nature is miraculous, with a timeline far different than my myopic, deadline-driven routine. Before the clamor of the day begins, the view reminds me, gently, that there’s a wisdom that exists outside of human experience.”
— CAROL DENNY, ANNAPOLIS, MD.