The Educated Tree Hugger: Content Creation with Justin Davies

Justin Davies is a Utah-based content creator whose work focuses on improving peoples’ connections with nature. His online presence was jump-started by his “50 states, 50 trees” project: an endeavor to create a map of the United States using native wood from each state. More than decoration, Davies’ map sought to engage and educate his audience about forms of biodiversity found across the country. With the project now complete, Davies continues to share his love of nature with new and interesting creative projects.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Davies was stuck in an existential crisis. Standard work hours had disappeared when the world moved online, replaced with constant online expectations. “I was at a breaking point,” Davies says. “I was in a career that I was not aligned with or fulfilled by, and I didn’t think I could do it anymore.”

“I am delighted by people who say ‘I had no idea I cared this much about trees and suddenly I do.'”

At first, Davies coped the same way many of us did by stress-watching online content, but the additional time spent online made things worse. Eventually, Davies turned to his passion for nature and sharing his love for it with others. “It all started with posting tree facts on Instagram. I knew I was onto something because when I would talk to my friends, they kept asking when I was going to post my next tree fact,” Davies says.

Like many Utahns, Davies had learned to love the outdoors by going on camping trips with family, and while that cultivated his love for nature, Davies admits he had “more of an artist’s entry point [but] no real, in-depth knowledge.”

Two events changed that. The first was a book by Robin Wall Kimmerer titled Braiding Sweetgrass. Kimmerer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, presented the idea that plants and animals are mankind’s original teachers and ignoring their lessons can result in species loneliness: a shared yearning for connection to other forms of life.

The second event was an experience Davies had with a tree. “I was trail running, pushing up a switchback. I stopped for a breath, and this tree caught my attention … I’d probably passed it countless times, but I finally saw it,” Davies says. “I interacted with it in a way that I hadn’t before. I was really drawn in[to] where and why it grows, the ethnobotany of it, even its traditional uses.”

“We’re so used to our usual rhythms. I want people to see a tree in a way they never have before.”

Davies’ experience brought the lessons from Braiding Sweetgrass to life. He moved on from posting simple tree facts to his more ambitious 50 states project. What “started with a quaking aspen tree that I cut into the state of Utah,” says Davies, turned into a comprehensive map. With each new piece of the map, Davies added to his own knowledge, all the while sharing that information with his audience. “What I’ve found is this … thrill of discovery that this thing I didn’t have a relationship with [before] — I’m now thinking about [it] in a different way,” Davies says.

The thrill of discovery applies to more than just the appearance of a tree. It can apply to its medicinal properties, its scent and even its taste. “It harkens back to species loneliness. We have this narrow view of flavors and where food comes from, since often places were settled by people who brought food and ingredients from elsewhere,” Davies says.

Davies has made pine cone jam, bread with sawdust and even ice cream from the odiferous Bradford pear tree. His work continues to resonate with his nearly two million YouTube followers. “I am delighted by people who say ‘I had no idea I cared this much about trees and suddenly I do.’ I want people to feel openly curious about nature. We’re so used to our usual rhythms. I want people to see a tree in a way they never have before,” Davies says.

Find Justin Davies on YouTube or TikTok at @justinthetrees, on Instagram at @justindavies and online at rangenative.com.

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