Listener mail

Listeners respond to Michael's essay from two weeks ago called Elegy for a tree.

Mark Hopkins, director of Wind Music Studies at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, sent an email with a soundtrack: a piece of music for wind orchestra called City Trees by Michael Markowski.

Brien Holmes of Orangeville, Ontario wrote about his time working in the Middle East and the trees he encountered there:

 "During my decades of working in the Middle East, where it did not rain for several years, I gained a new appreciation for trees. There were two dominant trees, the ghaf and the sidr, each with its own vital role in the local culture. The sidr provided fodder for camels, goats and sheep when grasses failed to mature. The branches were used to thatch old homes, and to make charcoal. The ghaf trees were harvested to build houses, mosques and dhows in the coastal communities. They are living, majestic, generous plants. Whether you are an unabashed environmentalist or an urban curmudgeon, it is always appropriate to hug a tree."

Click here to see Brien's photographs of ghaf trees.

We also hear from listeners about our hour-long special report on medical marijuana, and about Michael's interview with controversial Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy.