The intent of this paper was to describe trees as symbols and tree planting rituals, and to describe the importance of the presence of tree symbols and tree rituals to the process of recovering from a specific disaster or crisis, as represented by three separate cases. In his book Braverman describes the story of trees through the narratives of military and government officials, architects, lawyers, Palestinian and Israeli farmers, and Jewish settlers, including cases of trees actually being targeted by military forces, removed, and destroyed, in some cases repeatedly. The pine tree is associated with Zionist afforestation of the Promised Land, while the olive tree symbolizes the long agricultural connection to the land held by Palestinians (Braverman 2009). Perhaps a most salient example exists in the Israel/Palestine territorial conflict where, according to Braverman (2009) there are two dominant and highly symbolic tree landscapes pine forests and olive groves.

There are examples of symbols such as trees and forests and their planting or removal being used for less than benevolent purposes, or contributing to red zones rather than ameliorating them (Guha 1989, Fairhead and Leach 1996, Scott 1998, Cronon 2003, Prudham 2004).

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