Sunday 28 December, 2008Tree huggers do it in the woods

Picture 45 naked people perched in the trees. Draped over branches. Hugging the trunks.

Men and women, parents and children, mid-fifties to toddlers, even very pregnant mothers, gathered on Mount Tamalpais in western California to climb trees and have their pictures taken. The state park, with redwood groves, oak woodlands, and a spectacular view of San Francisco Bay from the 2,571-foot peak, was a perfect setting for the latest in a series of pictures by photographer Russ Peterson called The TreeSpirit Project.

For the last three years, people of all shapes, sizes, and ages have enthusiastically dropped their clothing and climbed, sometimes to dizzying heights, to embrace and celebrate the magnificent old trees.

Peterson donates 25 percent of the after-tax profits from the sale of his photographic prints to organizations that are devoted to preserving trees and green space, both inside and outside cities. "As an individual, I can't do a lot," he says. "But as part of this work, along with many other people who have the same focus, I can help bring attention to the environment.

"You tend to grab attention when you have a lot of naked people."