What happens when a song about trees becomes something more?
Vancouver, BC A cinematic indie-folk song inspired by trees has recently been released by its creator, who is also the founder of The ChaiTree Foundation. The song is part of an effort to find placement in film and television, yet its story is already growing beyond its original purpose, branching into new spaces, new audiences, and new possibilities.
It began as a poem written after first moving to Vancouver, reflecting on the quiet generosity of trees and what we stand to lose.
At first glance, this might seem like a creative milestone, a song seeking a place in film, a story told through sound and image. But at its heart, this moment is about something much deeper.
It’s about connection and loss.
Trees have always been storytellers. They hold memory, shelter life, and remind us that everything is interconnected. Across cultures and generations, forests have inspired music, art, and film because they speak to something universal in all of us. They also remind us of what is at stake, what is being lost, and what still can be protected.
There is an ancient rhythm to this understanding, something echoed in the myth of Persephone, who moves between worlds of light and darkness, loss and return. Like forests through the seasons, her story reminds us that cycles of grief and renewal are intertwined, and that what disappears is not always gone forever.
For children, that connection begins simply: time outside. Planting a tree. Listening to the wind moving through leaves. Feeling part of something larger than themselves.
At The ChaiTree Foundation, this is where real change begins.
When children fall in love with nature, they grow into people who protect it. Through hands-on outdoor learning, especially tree planting, young people don’t just learn about climate action, they experience it. They see how small actions can take root and grow into something meaningful.
That’s why stories like this matter.
A song about trees isn’t just a song, it’s an invitation. To pause. To listen. To reconnect. It reminds us that creativity can inspire care, and that care can lead to action.
And when that message reaches children, it becomes even more powerful.
Because every tree planted, every story shared, and every child inspired is part of something larger, a growing movement of young changemakers who understand they are not separate from nature, but deeply part of it.
About the Song
Created, written, and produced by Canadian lyricist and producer Andrea Koehle Jones, Executive Director of The ChaiTree Foundation
Performed and composed by Canadian singer-songwriter Shannon Robinson
Cover art photographed by Andrea Koehle Jones on Bowen Island, January 2026
Cleared for film and TV, instrumental version available
Created with the hope of one day finding its place in film or television for scenes exploring heartbreak, loss, grief, trees, deforestation, and our deep connection to trees